Lea Evil Zero, Arisen Thy Our
by moth touch
Summary: Shortly after a Youma battle Sailor Moon suddenly disappears, leaving behind a pair of pajamas in her wake. Can the Scouts, with the help of Chiba Mamoru, piece together what happened... and find out why Tsukino Usagi won't leave her enemy's apartment?
1. Chapter 1

**Lea Evil Zero, Arisen Thy Our.**

**Description**; Shortly after a Youma battle Sailor Moon suddenly disappears, leaving behind a pair of pajamas in her wake. Can the Scouts, with the help of Chiba Mamoru, piece together what happened... and find out why Tsukino Usagi won't leave her enemy's apartment?

**Rated**; M, for awkward situations, mild swearing, and suggestive nature. You have been warned!

**Disclaimer**; [The only one you will see, since I find it a tad bit redundant to repeat it on every chapter.] I only own the iPod this was typed up on, the laptop that fixed as much errors as I could find, and what little sanity I have to write a story such as this. In other words, I'm just a broke, weird young lady.

**Authors' Note**; I should state that this story will (more than likely) be AU, since it really doesn't fit anywhere in the timeline, though I plan on keeping the characters… well... in character, as much as I can. I hope you enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed writing it! :)

And away we go!

* * *

**Chapter One**

A white gloved hand gripped the balcony's door with a viselike grip while midnight blue eyes scanned the sky above. Tuxedo Kamen didn't see the moon, but knew full well that it was disappointed in him, as much as he was disappointed in himself. He gave a silent apology as he opened the door slowly and walked into his apartment.

As he willed his transformation to slip away, he slowly closed the door behind him with a sigh and walked into the kitchen, his eyes glancing at the clock on the wall.

**1:45** A.M.

Three hours he had been out. Two hours and forty-five minutes he spent searching for _her_, but without success. It was almost as if she had…

"…Disappeared," he whispered to his empty apartment. He opened his refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water, sighing once again as he opened it.

'_Where on Earth could she have gone? Was there a way I could have protected her from this?'_

He took a sip of the water as the night's events played through his head, but not noticing anything out of the ordinary, except for the absence of Sailor Moon after the battle. All that was left her in wake was a pair of pajamas.

Chiba Mamoru knew that it was nearly impossible for a mere person to vanish from thin air. Or, at least, it had been what he had been telling himself for the past…

**1:50** A.M.

Two hours and fifty minutes.

He closed the refrigerator door with a little more force than he intended to and leaned his head against it.

'_They'll find her. They have too. After all, she is Sailor Moon. I'm sure she'll be found by the next battle. And then, I'll do all I can from preventing this again.'_

With that thought, he took another drink of water as he moved away from the kitchen and headed toward his bedroom.

'_Thank Gods it's Saturday.'_

* * *

"_You're closer than you realize," a voice whispered with the wind close to his ear, causing him to shudder._

"_Princess?" The man questioned, his body twisting 'round and 'round, but his eyes were unable to see anything through the thick fog that settled around him._

"_Lea Evil Zero, Arisen Thy Our."_

"_Excuse me?"_

"_Lea… Evil… Zero," her words were slow, pronouncing every word. _

"…_Evil? Shall I take those words as a warning?"_

_Her laughter was light, and he could swear that he felt her breath upon his neck. "Find the ginzuishou," she whispered, her voice slightly higher pitched than it was a few minutes ago.  
_

"_Of course, my Princess, yet I still want to know what you meant by your words."_

"_You're closer than you realize—"_

"_How much—"_

Mamoru's eyes blinked open as he felt a strange feeling on his nose, a strange **pressure**.

'_Am I catching a cold?'_ he thought as he looked down at his nose, only to see a small, golden haired… **thing**.

Immediately, he sat up and jumped out of bed, running to the light switch and flipping on overhead light. He ran back over the bed, picked up the blanket and lifted it up as he scanned the bed for the **thing** that was previously on his nose. What he didn't expect to see…

At the edge of his bed, was a…

Very scared,  
Pixie-sized,  
Rather… naked

"…O-Odango?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

* * *

Tsukino Usagi groaned softly as her eyes adjusted to the blinding light from above her.

_'Note to self, jeans aren't a comfortable thing to land on,'_ she thought to herself as she pushed herself up into a sitting position.

"…O-Odango?"

Instinctively, she clapped her hands over her ears as she heard the loud voice. _'W-wait? Odango? Oh my goddess, oh my goddess, oh my goddess—'_

Mamoru approached the pixie-sized girl and crouched down in front of her. "What the Hell happened, and why on Earth are you in my apartment?"

Her head snapped up as she winced, her hands still clamped over her ears. "Why are you shouting, Mamoru-Baka?"

He blinked once, twice. "I saw your lips move—"

She winced again.

"—am I being too loud for you, Odango?"

She nodded.

"Oh," he whispered, "Well, as I was saying before… What. The. Hell. Happened?"

"I don't know!"

Mamoru watched as her lips moved, yet no sound passed through her mouth. "My gods, I never thought I'd see the day where you wouldn't be able to speak. Perhaps there **is** someone looking out for me."

The girl glared at him and with an **hmph**, crossed her arms over her chest, thankful that her hair was covering her breasts and proceeded to stand up.

"At least your gross motor skills appear to be fully functional."

Usagi stomped her foot and marched up to the man. "You— you're such a—"

"No good," he said as he inched as close as he could to her, "still can't hear you."

The girl threw her hands up as she jumped onto Mamoru's hand, then climbed up his arm, and stood upon his shoulder. She inched her way close to his ear and screamed, "I don't know what happened, Mamoru-baka, and trust me, if I could be anywhere— **any**where in the world right now, it would be as far away from **you** as possible."

The man tried to repress a shiver as he felt her breath upon his ear, and was successful as he listened to the words she whispered. He shook his head, his hair gently brushing against the pixie on his shoulder. "Oh, but Odango," he smirked as he lifted his palm to the shoulder she stood upon. When he felt her **extremely light** weight upon his palm, he brought her down to eye level, "there is one thing you should know."

"What's that? That you're the biggest, most arrogant baka this side of Tokyo?"

"…I seem to have managed to read 'baka' and 'Tokyo' from your lips… but no, this isn't about me."

"Well? What is it?"

"What is it? I'll tell you," his smirk grew a tad bit wider, "Did it ever occur to you that you're about the size of a pixie, standing upon my palm," he licked his lips, "…completely naked?" The words were almost a breath as he spoke them.

"You hentai! Put me down!" She squeaked as she looked down at herself, now **extremely** grateful for the long hair that she had; it covered her up well.

He chuckled as he laid the back of his hand upon the bed and watched her jump off of his palm. "I suppose, since I am a gentleman," He shook his head as he saw her glare at him. "I could find you… something to cover you up. Aside from that ridiculously long, odangoed hair of yours."

_'Ugh, he's such an as—'_ She sank to her knees on the bed as she watched him walk out of the bedroom. _'I need to figure a way to get out of here. I need time to think. I can't believe the Baka is Tuxedo Kamen. I need to tell the girls. I need—,'_ she yawned, _'to go to sleep. Maybe I'll find a way out of here after some rest.'_

* * *

_'What on Earth do I have that would fit pixie-Odango?'_ Mamoru thought as he searched through his living room, his kitchen, his study. As he walked into the last room of the apartment, his bathroom, his eyes landed on something that just… might… work.

He reached down for the toilet paper, counted off five sheets and held it up to the light. "Thank gods for two-ply," he whispered as he counted off another five sheets, just in case the first make-shift… toilet paper… dress… he cringed slightly… ripped.

Shaking his head as he wondered how in the world this happened, he walked back into the bedroom to find the pixie Odango asleep on his bed, her hair covering herself modestly. He exhaled a deep breath that caused his bangs to shift against the air. He approached the bed silently, placing one of the toilet paper… dress… things... _'Can I come up with something cleverer than that? She'll have a field day if I say __**that**__ to her'_ ...across her body, and laid the other next to her.

Turning in his heel, he flicked the light switch on his way out of the bedroom and walked into his living room, flopping stomach down upon his couch.

_'Why do I have the feeling that I'm screwed?'_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

* * *

_"Ah, I see you haven't figured out just how close she is."_

_"Alas, I have not, Princess,"_ Mamoru spoke through gritted teeth, _"because I don't know who on Earth **she** is!"_

_"Perhaps you're not looking hard enough—"_

_"—I am looking as hard as I can—"_

_"—to find the ginzuishou," the voice whispered, her voice slightly different from a moment ago._

_"The ginzuishou is a **female**?"_

_The fog floated around him, creeping slowly, as silence filled the air._

_"Why won't you answer any of my questions? I just… I need to know."_

_"All will be revealed in due time."_

Mamoru woke up with a start, a faint flash of awareness in the pit of his stomach, a flash of fear clenching his heart. _'…Sailor Moon?'_ He thought to himself as he jumped off of the couch. As he was about to flick his wrist, the familiar tug that he associated with the Senshi of the Moon had him stumbling toward his bedroom. As he was about to turn around and shake it off as nerves, since he was, maybe a little bit, worried about her, he saw the toilet-paper-covered-backside of a pixie-sized girl dangling from the side of his bed.

"Usa—ngo!" He ran to the side of the bed and placed his palm underneath her feet.

With shaky hands, Usagi let go of the bed sheets and landed on the offered palm, sinking down onto her knees, her back still toward him.

"What were you thinking? Are you that unhappy that you'd attempt to commit—"

She whipped her head to look at him over her shoulder and sniffled, "Never, you baka! I was… I got hungry… and I thought I could…"

The man's shoulders slumped and he silently blamed his poor choice of words on his frazzled nerves. "Next time, Odango, just knock something, not breakable, over when you need help. Alright?"

"H-Hai," she replied, nodding her head.

He turned around as he held her eye level, "I see you found your clothes," he said as he walked into the kitchen, placing his hand by the counter top.

She walked off of his hand and onto the counter, and then turned around to face him. "I wouldn't call this an article of clothing. It's more like a toilet paper… dress… thing."

"Mmm," he agreed under his breath, then spoke a bit louder, "What would you like to eat? What can you eat, anyway? Most of what I have is either bigger than you or require utensils to consume."

"What about that?" She pointed toward a bag on the end of the counter. "What's in there?"

"That, Odango, just happens to be my **last** chocolate chip muffin."

She licked her lips, creeping toward the bag, "Did you say chocolate chip?"

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked as he snatched the bag from her path. He crouched down near her in order to hear, or rather see, her reply.

"Muffins are easily breakable. So I thought that I could—"

"Iie, Odango. This is **my** breakfast."

"—But! It's **chocolate chip**—"

"Precisely the reason as to why it's **my** breakfast."

She threw her arms up, "You are such a—"

"Baka, yes, I know. You really need to come up with some more insults, Odango Atama."

"Oh, like **that's** original."

He rolled his eyes as he reached into the bag to retrieve the muffin.

Usagi salivated as she watched Mamoru take a bite of the biggest, most scrumptious looking food she had seen in the past... she looked at the clock and counted on her fingers... ten hours. She pouted, looking up at the man before her. "I'm so hungry!"

Before he could think twice, Mamoru found himself breaking of a decent sized piece of the delectable food before placing it upon the counter top beside the young girl. "There."

Her eyes lit up and she flashed a smile at him before turning her attention to her food. She skipped up to it and placed her tiny hands upon the soft, moist food and broke a small piece off. "Arigatō," she whispered before taking a bite.

"After breakfast, we need to figure out what we're going to tell your family—"

She turned toward him, "My parents and my brother are out of town," she took another bite of food and swallowed before continuing, "they're in Nagano, attending a wedding."

"Why didn't you go?"

She cringed slightly. "It's my cousin's and… well… we don't exactly see eye to eye. My parents adore her, want me to be more like her, as does the rest of my family. I… don't need something like that in my life right now."

"Ah, but maybe it **is** what you need—"

"Pffft. As if you, of all people, would know what I **need**, Mamoru-baka."

"—to motivate yourself to do better," he smirked, "of course, the day you do well, Odango Atama, is the day the world freezes... and you, somehow, awaken the Earth and they decide to make you queen."

Usagi picked up a piece of muffin and threw it at him; it fell a few inches away from the edge of the counter. "You know, I don't have to take this. You're such an as—"

"Tut, tut. Where did you pick up such bad language?"

Once again, the pixie glared at him. "Give me your phone."

"Why?"

"Why? **Why**!? I told you that I would rather be **any**where in the world than here. So I'm going—"

"Why?"

"…You are so infuriating!"

"My gods, Odango, that's quite a big word for you."

Her eyes wandered down to the marble counter-top as she sank down to her knees, making sure the toilet paper… dress… thing didn't rip. "Arigatō, Mamoru-baka, for your semi-hospitality you managed to show me for all of a minute… but I'd like to go now."

_'This… doesn't seem right.'_ The man took a step backwards. "I'll go get you the phone. I'll be right back."

_'The next time I see Tuxedo Kamen, I'm going to… to…'_

"Here," he set the cordless phone down on the counter and watched the pixie-Odango walk up to it. "Will you be able to use it?"

"Of course I will!" She climbed up onto the phone, kneltdown on it, and pressed the speaker button with all her might, listening as the dial tone filled the silence in the air. She flashed him a smile before dialing a telephone number.

_"Moshi moshi,"_ a voice said through the telephone.

Usagi winced as she huddled by the phones receiver, "R-Rei-chan?"

_"USAGI? Where in the world are you? The girls and I—"_

"I'm… uh, with, Mamoru-baka—"

_"WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING THERE?"_

"Rei-chan," she sniffled and wiped her eyes, "stop yelling. Onegai? I can't explain everything right now, but I will when I get there. Call the other girls, too. I only want to explain this once."

_"IIE, ODANGO-BAKA, I WILL NOT STOP YELLING—"_

Mustering up as much strength as she could, Usagi clicked off the phone, successfully hanging up on the miko. _'I'm totally going to hear about_ that _later."_ She turned her head, noticing Mamoru leaning against the wall with his arms across his chest, an amused look upon his face. "Nani?"

He shrugged, "I'm just curious as to what you said to make her screech like **that**."

"Oh," she chuckled nervously, "nothing important. Now, could you help me get down so I can go see her?"

He shook his head and approached her, "I think I can do something even better," he reached his hand down and picked her up, delicately, by the makeshift toilet paper… dress… thing, and placed her into his shirt pocket. "See, I can be a gentleman— by helping you get to her place."

* * *

"I can see why," the man muttered as he wiped the sweat from his brow, looking back at the steps that he just climbed, "...you stay so thin, pixie-Odango. Between those steps and your mad dashes to school," he panted as he looked around. "Where would she be?"

"In the center," Usagi's head popped out of the pocket as she looked up at him, "...she's probably in there, planning my demise for hanging up on her."

"Did you say something?" He questioned as he looked down at her.

"In the center. Just over there," she said, reaching her arm out of the pocket and pointing in the direction she was speaking about. "She's going to murder me," she whispered as she slunk back down, attempting to hide herself from the wrath of the fire miko.

Mamoru looked up and walked over to the center of Hikawa Shrine, and walked up to the building. Slowly, he tapped his knuckles against the building, twice, and then flinched as he saw Rei's eyes narrowed into slits. "ODANGO—" she growled, then laid eyes on the man in front of her. "Where is she?"

"K-Konnichi'wa, Rei—"

"Don't give me that," she gripped his arm and pulled him inside of the room, then spun on her heel and pointed her index finger at him, "...I know Odango-baka was with you. She **told** me. Now, where is she?"

Mamoru placed his hands up in defense and took a step backwards, "Rei... Onegai... let me explain," he spoke as he continued walking backwards. He gulped as he felt his back hit a wall.

"Tell me," she growled, shoving her index finger close to his chest, "where the Hell..." she poked him, once, and heard a faint noise. "Ano...," she moved closer to him and poked him again, "Mamoru... did you just... **giggle**?"

"I don't giggle, Rei—"

"USAGI-CHAN!" Minako's voice rang throughout the room as she ran in, Makoto and Ami hot on her heels.

"USAGI—" Makoto yelled after her.

"Rei-chan! ...M-Mamoru-san? What are you doing here?" Ami asked as she approached the two in the corner, and watched as Rei stepped away from the man. "What is going on?"

"That's what I'd like to know," the fire miko huffed, "Where is Usagi?"

"Well, you see," he began as he looked at the girls who seemed to have stepped closer as he began speaking, "...it's really not quite simple to explain, really..."

"USAGI!?" The four girls exclaimed as they stared at his pocket.

The man picked the pixie-sized girl out of his shirt pocket and placed her in the palm of his hand. The room was silent until...

"YOU'RE THE SIZE OF A PIXIE, ODANGO!" Rei shouted.

The girl winced and turned around the face Mamoru, mouthing words to him. He cleared his throat before reciting them. "First of all, Rei, don't yell—"

"I HAVE EVERY RIGHT IN THE WORLD TO—"

Minako placed a hand upon her shoulder, and sighed, "Let Mamoru finish, Rei-chan. Then you call yell at Usagi-chan all you want. Okay?"

"Fine," she grumbled.

"Pixie-Odango is saying that," he watched her lips begin to move again, "...she isn't exactly sure what happened to her, but she's glad that you're all here. She said that I'm involved—" he raised an eyebrow at her.

"How is he involved in this, Usagi-chan?" Makoto questioned.

"Because...," he responded as he read her lips, "...I'm... Tu—" he glared at the pixie on his palm and shook his head, "Iie, Odango Atama."

She took a shaky step backwards as she caught his gaze, mouthing the words, "...Hai, Mamoru... and I am Sailor Moon."

Mamoru's back went rigid, _'Iie, Iie... This can't be happening,'_ he thought as his legs shook beneath him. Slowly, his back slid down the wall until he was in a sitting position on the floor. _'Pixie-Odango is... Sailor Moon?'_


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors' Note; I just wanted to send a quick, humongous THANK YOU to those of you who have followed, reviewed, and favorited this crazy story. You're all amazing. xo.  
**

**And now, back to the regularly scheduled program...  
**

* * *

**Chapter Four**

* * *

"Mamoru-san!" The four girls screeched in unison as they watched him sink down onto the floor while Usagi stepped off of his hand.

"Usagi-chan?" Minako questioned as crouched down to the other girls level. "You look so kawaii! If you had wings you'd be like that little elf, Tinkerbell!"

"Minako-chan," Ami whispered as she joined the other girl on the floor. "Tinkerbell was a pixie... not an elf."

"Oh. Same difference," she shrugged. "So, Usagi-chan, what happened?"

"Yeah, Mamoru-san," Rei chimed in as she looked at him, "...What did Odango say to have you in an almost catatonic-like state on my floor?"

"If you did something to her, I will..." Makoto cracked her knuckles as she turned toward the unmoving man, "...hurt you so bad that you were **wishing **that you were her size."

"This cannot be happening," he muttered under his breath as he blinked a few times.

"I might be able to answer the questions," Usagi replied, looking toward Ami. "Do you happen to have my communicator? I think if I speak into it, everyone should be able to hear me."

"Hai," the blue-haired girl nodded as she reached into her pocket, placing what the pixie-sized girl had requested at her feet. "Everyone," she turned her head toward the others, "pull out your— Ano..." she glared at the girls and pointed to what she was talking about.

"Ami," Mamoru shook his head, "I don't think this is the time for a study sess— AHH!" his hands covered his ears as all the girls turned on their… _'calculators?'_… at the same time; the feedback from the objects in close proximity had created a high-pitched squeal that reverberated throughout the room. "Shut. Them. Off," he snapped.

A simultaneous beep was heard before the room fell into a moment of silence. "Perhaps we should split up," Ami suggested, "Mamoru-san and Rei-chan, go towards the north. Minako, you stay here with Usagi-chan while Makoto-chan and I will head outside."

* * *

"Alright, Usagi-chan, we are ready when you are," Ami's voice spoke through the communicator. "Explain everything that happened."

The pixie-sized girl leaned down over her communicators' speaker while Minako huddled as close to her as possible. "Well, I woke up late, as usual, and got to school late, as usual, and got a deten—"

"Usagi," Rei's voice interrupted, "we don't need a recap of your day. Just after the," she turned to look at Mamoru, who was sitting next to her as still as a statue. "…the thing."

"Oh," she blinked and closed her eyes as she focused, "well, after the… thing, I was just standing there, relieved that I could go home and eat because I was starving.." She opened her eyes. "Wait, I'm getting sidetracked again... Anyway, all of a sudden I heard something… it was almost as if the wind was whispering words into my ear."

"Words into your ear?" Minako reiterated.

Makoto's voice came through the communicator. "What kind of words?"

"I-I'm not sure, exactly... it sounded almost like... Lama Slyly Lotus… Loyal Flu It… Lea… Lea—"

"—Lea Evil Zero, Arisen Thy Our," Mamoru whispered.

Usagi gasped. "How— how did you know?"

"Mamoru-san?" Rei looked at him. "Do you know what's going on?"

"Iie, Rei—"

"Well, then, would you care to tell us how you knew what Usagi-chan was going to say?" Makoto glared at the communicator. "Who are you, Mamoru-san?"

"Odango?" Mamoru swallowed, hard.

"H-Hai?"

"H-how did you get into my apartment?"

Usagi froze. _'Oh goddess, oh goddess, oh goddess...'_

"Don't avoid me, Mamoru—"

"Makoto...," Mamoru closed his eyes. "I believe what Odango will say next will explain it."

"I-it will?"

"H-hai, Mako-chan," Usagi sighed. "After I heard the words, I remember feeling something come over me. The next thing I know," she thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "...the Sailor Senshi were yelling for me. I crawled out from under something soft and noticed a black dress shoe next to me. I looked up to see a giant dressed as Tuxedo Kamen. Since he was still for so long, I— I sort of hid myself in his sock—"

"That doesn't explain anything—" Rei interrupted.

"Rei-chan, let Usagi-chan finish." Minako said.

"So, after I hid in Giant Tuxedo Kamen's sock, he must have went home because, the next thing I know, I'm on a balcony… and I watched him for a moment while he scanned the sky for… something… and while he was distracted, I crept inside and managed to find myself inside of his bedroom—"

"—You were in Tuxedo Kamen's bedroom?" Rei interrupted, again, "Usagi-chan, I thought you said you were at—"

Mamoru turned his head and glared at the miko, "Rei, shut up and let Odango finish her story."

"B-but—"

"Continue."

"—I went into Giant Tuxedo Kamen's room and found a pile of clothes next to a chest by the end of the bed and climbed up on it. Little did I know that he must have changed back into his civilian identity and went to sleep. And, well, the next thing I know I'm in—"

The man jumped up from his position next to Rei and pointed toward the communicator. "—**my** bedroom, sitting on **my** nose!"

"Mamoru-san's—" Rei muttered.

"—**TUXEDO KAMEN**!?" The girls cried in unison.

"H-hai," he whispered as his arm fell limp at his side. He looked down at the ground, and gritted his teeth. _ 'Which means Odango Atama really **is** Sailor Moon. ...Iie. This __**definitely**__** cannot** be happening.'_

* * *

As the group filed back into the room, Usagi stood up and faced them. "So," she said as she bounced from foot to foot, "what do we do now?"

Minako turned around and looked at them. "Usagi-chan wants to know what we do now."

"We need to find a way to keep her safe," Ami replied as she looked at her.

The young blonde turned and looked at her pixie-friend, "Ami said we have to—"

"She can hear just fine, Minako. However, since she's so small, her voice is hardly above a whisper," Mamoru's lips curved into a smirk, "not that anyone is complaining, of course."

"MAMORU, YOU ARE SUCH AN AS—!" Usagi screeched, yet the only one who heard her was the Senshi of Venus.

"Usagi said MAMORU YOU ARE SUCH AN—mphmphmphmph." Minako's words were smothered under the pressure of a palm against her mouth.

"Arigatō, Makoto-chan," Rei smiled, "I'm sure we all knew what Usagi said."

"That Mamoru's an—," Makoto started to say, until she felt a wetness upon her palm. "Oh my goddess! That is so disgusting, Minako!" she yelped as she remove her hand from the other girls mouth and wiped it on her jeans.

"ENOUGH!" Mamoru yelled, causing all the girls to recoil in shock.

"Mamoru-san is right," Ami chimed in, "this isn't helping Usagi-chan's situation at all. We need to find a place for her to stay for the time being… where she will be safe until we can figure out what's going on."

"I'd offer my place if I could," Makoto said as she turned to Usagi, "but my landlord is working on my apartment this week and I've been staying with Ami—"

"—and my mother gets frantic when I have more than one friend over at a time. Gomen, Usagi-chan."

Rei crossed her arms over her chest and looked off to the side. "I'd love for you to stay here, Odango-baka," she turned her head and looked down at the girl, "but I haven't thought of anything appropriate enough to do to you for scaring us half to death and for **hanging up on me**."

"I guess you could stay at my house," Minako smiled softly, "though I wont be held responsible if Artemis confuses you for a mouse—"

"—I want to stay with Mamoru." Usagi stated, her voice almost monotone.

"N-nani?" Minako's smile faded. "Usagi-chan?"

"I want to stay with Mamoru." she stated again.

"M-Mamoru," the Senshi of Venus turned to look at him. "She's requesting to stay to your place."

"Nani!? Odango Atama said what?"

Usagi blinked. "Nani? What am I doing now?"

"You just said you wanted to stay with Mamoru—"

"—As if I would ever say a thing like that! I don't even like Mamoru-ba—"

"—It's fine," Mamoru said as he turned toward her, almost mechanically, "you can stay at my place."

Four loud thuds, and one small sound, echoed throughout the room.

"…Ano...," the man blinked as he looked at the unconscious girls, "was it something I said?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

* * *

It took the girls a half hour to regain consciousness. In that time frame, Mamoru had successfully walked around the perimeter of the room a handful of times, went to the bathroom, and magically made his caffeine fix appear out of thin air à la his roses. [Because, well, you don't expect him to just be able to conjure up roses, do ya?]

When asked what, exactly, happened, Minako responded, "Usagi-chan, you requested to stay at Mamoru's…"

"…And Mamoru-san, you told Usagi that it would be alright if she stays at your place," Ami explained.

"**NANI**!?" The two exclaimed together.

"It just happened," Makoto looked at the clock on the wall, "about a half hour ago. How can you **not **remember?"

"She's not staying with me!"

"I refuse to stay with him!"

"Iie, iie!" Minako chirped as she clasped her hands together, leaning close to Makoto, Rei, and Ami as she whispered, "This would work perfectly! Usagi-chan's Sailor Moon, right? And Mamoru-san is Tuxedo Kamen—"

"I don't trust Tuxedo Kamen," Makoto huffed, "but perhaps she could gather some information from him."

"Maybe we'll find out what he's after." Ami whispered.

Rei crossed her arms. "What are you trying to say, Minako?"

"Don't you see, Rei-chan!? Mamoru-san can protect her!"

The man put his hands up in defense when he heard Minako's words and shook his head. "Iie. All I do is protect Sailor Moon. There's no way I could protect that klutz without being severely injured in the process."

"But Mamoru-san," Minako fluttered her eyelashes as she leaned close to him, only to have Rei swat her on the arm. She winced as she leaned back. "How much trouble could a pixie-sized Usagi-chan give you?"

* * *

"I can't believe they convinced me to do this." Mamoru grumbled as he entered his apartment later that day. "They're children! CHILDREN!" He exclaimed, closing the door with his foot as he took the pixie-sized girl out of his pocket and placed her on the floor.

"They are my friends!" Usagi retorted as she stomped her foot on the ground, not realizing that Mamoru wasn't paying attention.

"They're going to owe me **so much** when this is over with." He started pacing, being careful he didn't accidentally step on his guest. "I don't know what... but it's going to be something gigantic." He stopped pacing and ran his fingers through his bangs before plopping down on the couch.

Usagi, slowly, carefully approached him. "Gomen'nasai," she whispered as she stood near him, "Mamoru, I didn't mean for this to happen… and for wanting—" she sniffled as she blinked back tears, "—for **them** to say that I wanted to stay."

He looked at her through his bangs. "What is it, Odango?"

She shook her head and squared her shoulders, locking her eyes with his. "Take me home."

"I don't even know where you live." He raised his hand flippantly. "Besides, they expect me to not be able to handle this— to do this. I'm not about to show four teenage girls that they're correct in their assumptions."

"Since when do you care what people assume about you, Mamoru-baka?"

He shrugged as he looked up at the ceiling. "C'mon, Odango. You must be hungry—"

"Are you feeling alright?" She questioned as she watched him rise to his feet.

"—I'll find you something to eat." He said as he walked into the kitchen, and opened the refrigerator door before kneeling in front of it.

She followed him and stood next to him, trying to peer inside. "I can't…" she started jumping, holding onto the toilet paper dress as best as she could, "see… anything!"

The man glanced down at the girl beside him and chuckled silently to himself. "Need help, pixie-Odango?"

She immediately stopped jumping and turned toward him, nodding furiously. When he offered his palm to her, she stepped up on it and watched as the items in his refrigerator came into view. She looked at him, then the fridge, then back at him. "Is this all you have?"

"Oi, should have known Odango Atama wouldn't care for food that is classified as healthy and nutritious."

"Mamoru-baka, I see **carrots** in there. Those are not healthy—"

"Of course they are."

"—They are repulsive!"

"I see your vocabulary has improved since our run-in before the… thing... last night."

"For your information," Usagi said as she pointed her tiny index finger at him, "I am very educated in terms of vocabulary—"

"Don't make me go into cardiac arrest, pixie-Odango."

"—it's just that I… I…" Her arm fell limply at her side as she looked down; her eyes intently focused on the deep heart line on his palm.

"Nani?" He whispered and watched the tips of her small ears flush a deep red.

"Ihavetogotothebathroom." She mumbled.

"Huh?"

She inhaled deeply as she looked at him. "Ihavetogotothebathroom."

"Can you possibly say that a little… slower?"

"PEE. I HAVE TO PEE."

His mouth formed an 'o' of surprise as he stood up. "Ano…" he closed the refrigerator door, walked over to a cabinet, and attempted to keep the girl balanced on his, slightly shaking, palm. "You could try this." He opened the door and retrieved a cup, then set it on the counter.

Her eyes grew in horror as she stared at the object. "I will **not** pee in a cup, Mamoru. That's just **wrong**!" She glared up at him.

As the girl began to hop from foot to foot, he sighed. "I'm not sure what I can do for you, Odango. Should I grab some newspaper and—"

Her face flushed red as she stopped hopping and stomped one of her feet on his palm. "I am **not** a dog."

He backed up slowly, then realized that it wouldn't put any distance between him and the very angry girl. "I— I'll put you in the bathroom then," he said as he turned on his heel, moving away from the kitchen, "and you can… do your business." He opened the bathroom door, walked inside, and placed her down on the sink's counter.

"Arigatō." She said as she wiggled around a bit. "Now leave."

He nodded, turned around, and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

"MAMORU!?" Usagi shouted for the seventh time as she stood where he placed her a few minutes prior. Luckily, she had been able to figure out how to... do her business... without getting her toilet paper dress… _'Maybe I can convince someone to get me some **real** clothes'_ …all wet.

"MAMORU-BAKA!" She shouted as she tapped her foot impatiently. Then, she remembered…

_"Next time, Odango, just knock something, not breakable, over when you need help. Alright?"_

She frowned slightly as she walked over to the soap dish near the edge of the counter. _'Okay, I will,'_ she thought as she placed her hands on the dish and pushed with all her might. It wouldn't budge. _'C'mon… mooooove…'_ She grunted as she continued to push against it.

Suddenly, the soap dish slid off the counter and landed on the floor with a smash while the pixie-sized girl was left lying on her stomach, looking over the counter and at the glass below. "Oops," she whispered as she heard the bathroom door fly open.

* * *

_'How could I let them convince me that this could be— would be— a good thing? If Motoki hears that a pixie-Odango or **any** kind of Odango is in my apartment—'_ Mamoru's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of glass breaking in his bathroom. He jumped up from the couch and ran to the bathroom door, quickly opening it...

...and he watched the door hit the wall as he took a step forward... then the door closed in his face.

"Ow." He said as he held his nose in one hand and the door knob with the other. He opened the door again, running in as his eyes searched frantically around the room. He spotted Usagi lying on the counter, looking at him with a slightly guilty look on her face. She waved at him then proceeded to look back down at the glass.

He sighed deeply as he took his hand away from his nose, sneaking a glance at his reflection in the mirror... noticing that a bruise was starting to form. He sighed again as looked up at the ceiling. "Pixie-Odango," he whispered, "I said something **not** breakable."

She placed her hands on the counter and pushed herself up, watching as the makeshift dress fell from her body. With a gasp, she covered herself up with her hair and blinked back tears. "Oh no! It…" she sniffled, "…it ripped."

"Let me go get something to clean this up with." He turned on his heel and walked out of the room.

_'That... that baka didn't even realize,' _she sniffled again, _'that… that… I am in desperate need of clothing!'_ One tear from her left eye fell upon her cheek; one tear from her right eye descended down a similar path. Before she could stop them, more tears had started to fall as she heard the man return.

"I'll clean this up and then we can…" Mamoru's voice trailed off as he looked at her. **Really** looked at her, and cursed under his breath when his eyes caught a glimpse of her breasts underneath her hair. He licked his lips, unaware that he was doing so. But then he noticed that her cheeks were a little shiny under the light of the room, which indicated to him that she was currently crying. "Pixie-Odango," he said as he leaned against the broom, "it's okay, really. It's… just glass."

Her head snapped up as her eyes narrowed to slits at him. She wanted to yell— to scream at the top of her lungs that she didn't **care **about the goddamn soap dish.

"O-Odango?" he whispered.

_'Back to square one,'_ she thought as she stood up, quickly fixing her hair and making sure that it covered her up. "You," she seethed as she wiped away her tears, then pointed at him.

Mamoru looked around and pointed to himself. "Me?"

"Come here."

"Oh," he whispered as he walked over to her. "Nani?" He looked down at her as he started to sweep the glass into a pile.

"You, Mamoru-baka, are going to go to the store and you are going to buy me some clothes."

He immediately stopped and loosened his hold on the broom. "N-**Nani**?"

"You heard me! I need something besides a flimsy toilet paper…dress…thing, and I cannot wait any longer," she blinked back fresh tears. "I… I need **something to wear**, Mamoru. I… I…"

"Alright, pixie-Odango," he replied with a monotone voice, "After I finish sweeping up this glass, I shall retrieve some clothes for you. As well as some food... for I am sure that you are hungry." His grip tightened on the broom as he looked away from her and began sweeping the glass once again.

"Nani?" She whispered; her eyes wide as she looked at him like he had grown another head.

"I can see you out of the corner of my eye, Odango. Didn't anyone tell you that it's impolite to stare? I mean, I **know** I'm good looking and all..." He looked back at her, realizing that she was still staring at him. "Stop staring at me. Onegai. You're starting to creep me out."

She blinked. "B-but… B-but... The food… and the clothes… and the food… and the **politeness**!"

"What are you rambling on about now?"

"You… just agreed to buy me clothes… and food, Mamoru."

He raised his eyebrow at her, and then shook his head. "Why on Earth would I do such a thing like that?"

"I don't know. But you did. You said after you cleaned up—"

"I never said such a thing. Perhaps you are losing your mind from being as small as you are." He knelt down and reached for the dustpan that was connected to the broom. _'What's next? I find out that I say something crazy, like Odango Atama is my future wife— or that she's the mother of my child?'_ He snorted a bit at the thought. _'Yeah, that would be the day that I get told I'm the King of Earth or something.'_ The man swept the glass onto the dustpan, then threw the shards away in the trash. He stood up and looked down at the girl on his counter and sighed. "You know, Odango," he began and watched her head turn slowly to look up at him, "since I am not an overly hormonal teenager, and since I'm definitely **not** a hentai, as you called me… I suppose I could... go to the store and find something that will fit your pixie-like figure."

Her eyes shone brightly as she clasped her hands under her chin. "Will you bring back some food, too?"

He chuckled softly and looked up at the ceiling. "Don't push it."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

* * *

Mamoru pushed the shopping cart around the store as he thought of what was small enough for his… no, wait… **the** pixie-sized girl to wear. Soon enough, he found himself within the doll aisle. As his eyes roamed around the selection, a 'Beauty and the Beast, Belle' doll caught his attention. _'I think she's about the same height. …Would she wear something like this?'_ Responding to his question with a shrug of his shoulders, he tossed the doll into the cart_… _ not imagining a pixie-Odango wearing a blue and white dress, not imagining the pixie-Odango wearing a blue and white dress. He continued to look around until his gaze fell upon another doll, this one by the name of 'Rapunzel'… and he didn't think her long hair could be like Odango's. Oh no, he certainly wasn't picturing in his mind what Odango would look like with that dress on. With another shrug, he placed it in the cart.

As he made his way to the end of the aisle, he came across a little dollhouse which included a built-in kitchen, a bathroom, and a mirror attached to a vanity… but the thing that stood out the most was the realistic looking bed. _'I'd be able to get my bed back and keep an eye on her at the same time. Not… that I'm afraid she'd do anything, of course.'_ He walked over to the box and lifted it up, _'Damn, this thing weighs a ton!'_, and cautiously placed it into the cart. _'I can't believe I'm buying this stuff.'_ With a sigh, he placed a few more dolls into his cart and made his way to the next aisle.

What he saw made him stop in his tracks_._

_…_All the shelves were filled with figurines that appeared eerily similar to Sailor Moon, the rest of the Senshi, and even Tuxedo Kamen.

He shook his head as he picked up one of the Tuxedo Kamen boxes. _'Why does the box have to be pink?'_ He frowned as he looked closely at the doll inside. _'Do I… really look that cheesy!? There's no way my outfit looks like **that**!'_ He frowned more as he turned the box over and read the back…

**The Masked Man in a Tuxedo; it's Tuxedo Kamen! Listen as he says phrases such as…**

"Young girls have nice, smooth skin. Heavy makeup is not necessary."

_'I'm not that lame, am I?'_

"I, Tuxedo Kamen, will not tolerate those who bring evil destruction to the Earth. For that, you shall feel the wrath of my rose."

_'Oh come on! I've never said **that**!'_

**...And help Sailor Moon defeat the enemy with Tuxedo Kamen's Rose Throwing Action that can be activated with just a push of a button!**

Mamoru growled._ 'Can I sue the company over this? This… this most definitely classifies as defamation of character.'_ He dropped the doll into the cart.

**"Even a poisonous flower will soon wilt if a poisonous energy eats away at it,"** it spoke; its voice an octave higher than what the real Tuxedo Kamen's should be.

"Oh this is ridiculous…" Mamoru grumbled through gritted teeth as he grabbed one of the Sailor Moon boxes he saw above the shelf of Tuxedo Kamen dolls.

**In the name of the Moon, she will punish you!** The outside of the box read. **The pretty solider in a sailor suit, Sailor Moon!**

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, depending on which way one would look at it, the doll didn't talk. Maybe it was better, since the real Sailor Moon's, but mainly Usagi's, voice could sometimesbealittlecheerful maybealittletoocheerful possiblyreallynice— _'Iie. She's already occupying my apartment temporarily. I don't need to hear her in stereo.'_ It definitely wasn't the fact that he was sure that if this doll **could** talk, it would sound just plain **wrong**._ 'Besides, once this is all over with, everything will go back to the way it was before…' _He gently placed the box next to Tuxedo Kamen.

**"A serenade fits a beautiful moonlight night. Noise that is painful to listen to shall all disappear immediately!"**

"Really?" The man growled again. "That's it. I'm calling a lawyer later…" He exited the aisle and made his way over to one of the registers at the front of the store. Silently, he gathered the smaller items in the cart and put them onto the conveyor belt, praying that the cashier wouldn't attempt to make small talk with him.

The cashier flashed him a friendly smile as she began to scan the items. "Did you find everything okay?"

_'Don't say anything about what I'm purchasing…' _"Hai." He replied curtly.

"Good, good…" She scanned the bar-code of the dollhouse with a hand scanner, then frowned a bit. "…You know, you'll make your younger sister happy with all these toys!" She remarked as she hit the scanner against her palm before she tried scanning it again.

"Yeah, sure," he replied as he ran a hand through his hair, "…Can you just hurry up. Onegai?"

The woman chuckled nervously. "Ano… hold on," she whispered as she picked up a phone near the register. As she spoke into it, her voice echoed through the speakers conveniently placed in the ceiling in every section of the store. "Register 16 requesting price check on Barbie's Dream House. Register 16, need price check on Barbie's Dream House."

"Register 16, ask the customer what aisle it was in," a voice responded.

_'…An unknown voice from an unknown location… Classic.'_ Mamoru rolled his eyes.

The woman cleared her throat as she flashed him another smile. "What aisle, sir?"

"21A," he grumbled as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"The man at register 16 says he found it in aisle 21A," she answered, then watched as the cheeks of the man in front of her turned from a ghostly pale to a deep crimson.

For Chiba Mamoru, it felt as if the whole world stopped as he noticed the other shoppers looking in his direction.

Or maybe it was his heart due to embarrassment from the stares he was receiving.

* * *

Usagi was on the couch leaning over the remote control, hands placed over the 'channel up' button and pressing down on it as if she was attempting to preform CPR on the inanimate object.

At least, that's what it looked like to Mamoru when he walked through his front door a few hours later. Silently, he watched her movement; back moving up… and down… and up… and… "I'm back," he announced, a little loudly he thought, as he watched the girl fall over.

"You baka! You could've given me a heart attack!" she screeched as she sat up on the couch, holding her hands over her heart. She froze momentarily as she eyed the bags in his hands. "Oooh! Did you find me some clothes? Did you bring back some food?" She crawled her way to the edge of the couch. "I'm starving!"

"Calm down, Odango," he said as he placed the bags down onto the floor. "You look like you're about to hyperventilate."

She looked up at him and smiled as he sat down. "What'd ya get me?"

"Who said this was for you?"

"I didn't know you had a hidden affection for Barbie's Dream House."

He shrugged slightly as he took the box out of the bag. "Would you believe me if I told you that it's for someone I know?"

Her lips pursed together as she thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Iie, Mamoru-baka. I don't know if I want to imagine you having a child as a friend."

"I don't know if I'd call her a friend, pixie-Odango," he pushed the box in her direction, "but she most certainly is a child."

"I'll have you know that I am fourteen years old," she huffed, "fourteen. **FOUR**. **TEEN**. Do you hear the teen at the end?" She nodded, answering her own question. "That means that I am a teenager, old man."

"Well, if you put it that way," he slid the box away from her and put it behind him, "I'll just have to return it to the store and make a bed for you out of an old, rotting can—"

She gasped. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Care to find out, Odango?"

"Iie! Iie!" she responded quickly. "It looks… nice." Her lips formed a slight smile. "Arigatō. Did you also get Barbie's Dream Car? I've always wanted to drive!"

He rolled his eyes as he slid the box toward her again, then went through another bag. "Here are some clothes…" He pulled a few of the dolls out and placed them near her. "I'll admit that I wasn't sure which outfits were more your style…"

"Ano… Mamoru," she flinched as she saw one of the dolls; a pink-skinned one with a heart on her cheek, with black hair and pink streaks.

"Ilikedthedress," he mumbled.

The girl looked up from the box. "Hmm? Did you say something?"

"Iie. Nothing at all."

Usagi looked back at the doll in the box; her black dress was covered in little pink hearts. "It's… different," she whispered with a shrug of her shoulders, "not really my type, though. I enjoy wearing, slightly, brighter colors."

"But it has pink on it. Pink hearts." Mamoru replied as he pointed to the dress.

"I see that, but it looks… a little depressing. Plus, I don't even know what kind of doll this is."

"Just read the outside of the box. It clearly says Monster High—"

"Wait," she interrupted. "I thought this was the nineties—"

"Justgoalongwithit,okay?" He coughed. "—the doll is named Draculaura."

"Drac…u…laura?"

"Obviously she's the daughter of Dracula."

"So you think of me as a blood-sucker?"

"Where **do** you come up with these things?"

She shrugged a bit as she moved the box away from her. "I'm not quite sure. Sometimes I think I get help from an outside source… like, it plants things into my head… which causes me to say strange things…"

"Odango," Mamoru moved closer to her, "you don't need help from some sort of 'outside source' to say strange things. Trust me." He moved the box out of the way, revealing another doll to her.

"Ooh, Rapunzel! She's so pretty! Look at her little dress! Her hair is almost as long as mine! I wonder if I could style her hair like mine! What do you think?"

"I think that… it's just a doll… and you're getting way too excited over this."

"B-but it's **not** just a doll, Mamoru! Every single one of them are a source of clothing for me!"

"And what, pray tell, are you going to do with the dolls once you've stripped them of their precious clothing?"

"I figured I'd give them to you. I'm sure you can find some use for them."

"That is just **awful**, Odango."

"What? I didn't **say** anything! You're the one who thought it!"

"I did not—"

"—did too—"

"—did not—"

"—did too—"

Mamoru rolled his eyes as he placed the next doll near her and sat back to watch her reaction.

The girl looked at the box, then at the man before her, and then back at the box. "Is this some sort of a joke?"

"Well, I figured that since you're Sailor Moon and all—"

"I will not wear this outfit around your apartment." She crossed her arms across her chest and looked away from him, "And you said you weren't a hormone driven old man," she mumbled under her breath.

"Oi, pixie-Odango, it was a joke." He moved the boxes away from her and retrieved a new box from one of the bags and started to open it. "Here. This doll has jeans and a t-shirt," he pulled the doll out of the box, and slipped the clothing off of the doll. "Try these on." He handed the clothes to her.

She retrieved the clothing from his hand and gave him a slight smile. "Mind… giving me some privacy?"

He shook his head as he stood up, his hand gripping the bag that contained the house, "I'll start working on this." He said as he walked away; dragging the bag toward the hallway that separated the living room from the other rooms.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**_  
_

* * *

_…He'd watch the sun descend the sky, and his lips would curve into a small smile when he saw the moon. In his mind's eye, he would imagine her looking as ethereal as the beams that he felt she shone down on the Earth… and he couldn't help but think that they were just for him. Before sleep would claim him hours later, he would absently wonder if she would visit him again while he slept._

_And every night, she's surrounded by a fog so dense that he sometimes has trouble seeing her silhouette, but he knows that she's there… because she always is, without fail. More often than not, they'd stand before each other in a momentary silence before he'd hear her whisper into his ear… begging him to find the very thing that will help him__…_

_____…_and he'd be a fool to deny her request because, goddammit, he needs it___…_ needs it to___…_

_____…_He can still remember the first few times he saw her, when he had inquired her name… partly out of curiosity, but mainly because he wanted to know what to call her. But she would never answer. One night, he referred to her as 'Princess' and he instantly **knew** that that is what he should call her. Satisfied that he had given her a name, aside from 'The Mysterious Woman in the Fog'_____…_ which is what he called her many times before, he attempted to introduce himself___…_ but his words got caught in his throat, as if such a thing was forbidden. After that, he never tried again.

_Eventually he had memorized their routine, for it was always the same__…_

_She'd be there, waiting. He'd show up. She'd give her request. He'd take a step forward, acknowledging her words, while trying to peer through the fog to catch a glimpse of her face…_

_…And then he would wake up._

"Wow." Usagi breathed as she looked away from the book. "That's kind of intense."

Unbeknownst to the girl, Mamoru had completed the mundane task of building the dollhouse and was going to ask her if she'd like to eat. Instead, he stood in the entryway of the living room, leaning against the wall as he kept an eye on her, and he couldn't help but wonder what could have her so utterly captivated. After spending a few moments locked in a heated internal debate, he decided to approach her to find out what had held her attention for so long.

She saw his shadow darken the pages of the book and she looked up with a small smile on her face. "Done already?"

He met her gaze after she had spoken to him. "Whatcha reading, pixie-Odango?"

She shrugged. "I saw this already opened to this page, so I figured I'd keep myself occupied with it."

His eyes scanned the pages quickly, and then snatched the book away from her. "This is personal, Odango."

"If it means **that** much to you, then you shouldn't leave your diary lying around!"

"It is not a diary! It's a… journal."

"Why is it so personal, anyway? It just appears to be some sort of story."

He ran his fingertips across the words on the page. "H-hai," he closed the notebook and tucked it underneath his arm. "_…_just some story." He knelt down and held his palm out to her.

"You're not a bad writer," she whispered as she stepped onto it.

He stood back up as he brought her to his eye level and placed the book away in a bookshelf. "Did you say something?"

"I like your story. Do you have a title for it yet?"

He shook his head. "Iie. It's not really something I want people knowing about—"

"What is he searching for?"

"An object."

"…That's it?"

"…Yeah."

"Oh! I think I know what it is!" Usagi clapped her hands together in excitement as she started jumping, "It's the ginzuishou, isn't it?"

The man almost fell over. "**NANI**!?" He shrieked. "How did you know?"

"It's simple, Mamoru." She stopped jumping, then began counting off of her fingers, "First, we usually find out each others identities as Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen. Secondly, soon after that happens, the legendary silver crystal is mentioned in some way... in this case it was in that diary about your dreams," she held up a hand toward him when she saw the face he was making. "It wasn't hard to figure out it was a dream **diary**, baka. ...Anyway, now we seem to be approaching the part where we discuss the ginzuishou and the author explains your…" She watched as the man held up an index finger, "traumphmphmph—", and placed said finger against her lips, sufficiently silencing her words.

"I believe there is some sort of unspoken code about that, pixie-Odango," he whispered.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she shrugged and placed her tiny hands onto his finger in an attempt to remove it, so she could breathe a little easier.

He removed his finger from her lips and then ran his hand through this hair as he cleared his throat. "So... what **do** you know about the ginzuishou?"

"Well, that's not as simple." she chuckled nervously, "All I was told was that it's my duty, as leader of the Sailor Senshi, to acquire it and protect it—"

"Knowing you and your klutz attacks, you'll probably end up falling and smashing it somehow."

"Have I ever told you," her eyes narrowed into slits as she glared at him, "how much I loathe you?"

He smirked. "Iie."

"In that case," she balled her hands into tiny fists, "I completely **despise** you, Chiba Mamoru."

"Whatever you say, Odango Atama." His smirk grew bigger. "And to think that I had originally planned to ask if you wanted something to eat—"

"You're going to make me starve just because I hate you? Wow," she took a step backwards as she stared at him. "I'd hate to see what you'd be like as a father to a teenage girl."

The man sweat dropped. "I'd rather not discuss, or think about, becoming a parent at my young age."

She blinked a few times as realization dawned on her and she shivered. "You know what? Me neither."

A silence fell between them as they both internally wondered what would happen now. The man rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply. _'I don't know how much more I can take. I know that my life is a tad bit... eccentric, but this whole situation takes the cake...'_ "Look, Odango," he said as he walked into the kitchen. "Let me make something for us to eat—"

"So you're not going to make me starve? How sweet of you."

"—and maybe by tomorrow, you'll be back to normal... and we can forget that this whole thing ever happened."

* * *

The conversation during dinner was pretty much nonexistent. Occasionally, the pixie-sized girl would sneak a glance at the man in front of her, but he didn't seem to notice.

Mamoru couldn't shake what he was feeling. His mind kept shooting up a red flag, alerting him that something was terrible wrong… yet he couldn't pinpoint what. It didn't have anything to do with Odango being so small, she was eating one grain of rice at a time while sitting on his kitchen table. Perhaps it was the fact that they hadn't said a word to each other since sitting down to eat. But he concluded that that wasn't it either. And he was almost positive that it had nothing to do with the revelation that she knew about the ginzuishou and that she had a duty to protect it. No, he felt that this_..._ feeling_..._ traveled much deeper than that. When they had both finished eating, the man cleared the plates and brought them over to the kitchen sink so he could wash them.

Usagi yawned and closed her eyes. _'I just want to go to sleep. I wonder when he'll finish—'_ her thoughts were interrupted as she heard the sound of footsteps, and she opened her eyes in time to see the man place his hand upon the table.

"Tired?" He asked, then saw her reply with a small nod as she crawled onto his hand. He turned around and carried her into his bedroom, and then knelt down beside the dollhouse. "I figured that if you're in here, you wont be able to get into much trouble."

Her eyes took in the sight of the dollhouse and she couldn't help but smile. "It looks lovely. Arigatō."

"The bed appears to be pretty soft," he said as he looked at the ceiling, the corner of his right lip quirked up in a smile. "I believe it may match up to my own."

"How about we switch sizes? Your bed is **extremely** comfortable."

He looked down at her, his lips forming a straight line. "So_…_" he said softly, "I'll see you in the morning." he placed his palm near the bed inside the little house. "Night, pixie-Odango," he whispered as he stood up.

"Good night, Mamoru-baka." she whispered as she got into the small bed and snuggled under the blanket. "Pleasant dreams."


	8. Chapter 8

**You guys are too much. No, seriously… you're absolutely amazing. To each and every single one of you who have read, reviewed, favorited, and/or followed this story so far: I feel that words, especially a simple "thank you", are not sufficient enough to describe how much having you interested, or show interest, in this insane thing that my mind has created… that I call a story… means to me. If I could, I'd have Makoto bake cookies for all of you and send Tuxedo Kamen and/or Sailor Moon to deliver them.**

**I also wanted to mention that I've begun daydreaming/outlining/researching/plotting an unrelated, more serious, and intricate story… yes, yes I know what you're thinking. Really, I do. Honestly. (…I'll probably start posting it when I have finished this story. ;)**

**And here is the end of the Authors' Note… I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

* * *

_"Greetings, Princess," Mamoru said while bowing slightly at his waist, making sure to keep his gaze locked on the silhouette before him. "Are you here to inform me that I am still close to the ginzuishou?"_

_"Perhaps," was her reply as she laughed softly; a sound that he felt had a mocking tone to it._

_"Perhaps?" The man echoed incredulously, taken aback by her answer, and quickly stood up straight. "I do not have time to play these games—" The tone in his own voice reflected his irritation, and he clenched his fingers into fists as the fog began to shift; an indication that she had moved. He took a miniscule step back when the fog started to swirl and slowly encompass him._

_"Then you should stop playing yours…" she whispered close to his ear; her breath causing a shiver to run down his spine and he unclenched his fists, "…because you're so much closer than before. All you need to do… is listen."_

_Suddenly, there was a light pressure upon his shoulders and he swallowed hard. "Listen to what?" He whispered in return, inclining his head to get close to the silhouette that was now standing toe-to-toe with him._

_Her initial response was not a spoken one, much to his surprise, but it was rather a soft, gentle pressure against his lips. Yet as quickly as the kiss came, it was gone. In its place was the sensation of her hand cradling his cheek with her thumb moving in small circles on his skin. They stood that way for a brief moment before the warmth of her hand faded and the fog shifted once again. _

_The wind carried her words… _

_"Lea Evil Zero… Arisen Thy Our…"_

* * *

Mamoru's eyes shot open as he swiftly sat up in bed, and placed his head into his hands. _'…Ever since the night of that battle, everything has been… preternatural. Hai, that sums it up quite nicely.'_ Slowly, he brought one hand down and placed his fingers against his lips, _'…When will things go back to **normal**?'_

Shaking his head, the man moved his hands to the covers lying across his lower body and pushed them off to the side. _'She said I need to listen. Lea Evil Zero… What on Earth could that mean?'_ He maneuvered his legs so that he was sitting on the side of the bed and used his fingertips to massage his temples. _'I need to get some coffee into me before I start thinking about complex things.'_ With that thought, he pushed himself off of the bed and stood up, stretching his muscles while his head turned to look toward the dollhouse…

…and his eyes grew wide at the sight of the pixie-sized girl cuddling with the Tuxedo Kamen doll and… kissing it.

The silence that hung in the air was soon replaced with the sound of the man loudly clearing his throat, and he watched the girl quickly sit up in the small bed. "So, how good of a kisser is Tuxedo Kamen?"

Usagi squeaked as she pushed the doll off of the bed.

**"Passionate fire is noble and beautiful. But evil fire to burn some one to death is ugly and horrifying,"** it spoke when it hit the plastic floor.

The girl blinked once, twice, thrice… before erupting into a fit of giggles. "Oh my goddess, that has to be the best impression of Tuxedo Kamen I've ever heard!" She said before giggling even more.

"I knew I should've taken the batteries out of that thing," Mamoru grumbled, walking over to the dollhouse. A small grin formed on his lips as he knelt down, picked up the doll, and looked into her eyes. "You know, pixie-Odango, that by kissing him… you were, in a way, inadvertently… kissing me."

She squeaked again as she moved away hastily, causing her to fall off of the bed.

Rising to his full height, he took a few steps backwards while chuckling softly to himself.

"As if I'd ever kiss **you**, you… you… you baka!"

He looked back at her and watched her stand up. "I'll grab a few of the dolls so you can change out of those clothes. After that, I'll find something for breakfast."

Before she had a chance to open her mouth to speak, he had already left the room. _'What's going on with him? One minute he's teasing me, the next minute he's being courteous…'_ she snapped her fingers. _'Mamoru **must** be bipolar! It all makes sense now, especially when you add Tuxedo Kamen into the mix…'_ Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard the sound of boxes being placed on the floor and she couldn't stop the smile her lips were slowly forming when she saw three boxes by the edge of the dollhouse. She clasped her hands behind her back and walked toward them, her eyes roaming over the selection he had brought over to her.

And he watched her intently from where he stood after placing the dolls down, and then looked up at the ceiling, which he realized he was quickly becoming well acquainted with as the minutes ticked by with the pixie-Odango in his apartment.

Usagi frowned slightly when she noticed the creepy doll with the pink skin and heart upon its cheek. "This one? Really, Mamoru?" She shook her head and pushed it toward the man's feet.

He felt a tap against his toe and quickly furrowed his brow as he looked down at her. "Is there something wrong?"

She pointed to the box and shook her head no.

"Iie? Really?" he shrugged. "Then pick something else, I suppose."

She looked between the two boxes that remained. One doll had a pair of shorts with a pastel purple tank top, while the other doll was dressed in a pale yellow sundress and straw hat.

"Personally, I like the shorts and tank top," Mamoru automatically answered, "but we both know you're not dressing to impress me, Odango."

The pixie-sized girl looked up at him and smiled. "I think I'll pick the sundress then, since you prefer the other outfit." She slid the box toward him.

He bent down and retrieved the box. _'This is one of the rare times that I am grateful she's doing the opposite of what I said. She's going to look—'_ He opened the box, took the doll out and stripped it of the dress, then handed it to her. "Want the brush that's in here too?"

She nodded as she took the dress from him. "Arigatō," she smiled, and then reached for the brush he dug out from the box. "You wouldn't happen to have a mirror that I could look into, would you?"

"Why don't you use the mirror in your dream house?"

"That doesn't even classify as a mirror."

"The box described it as one."

"Hai, maybe for a Barbie… but not for me."

"I'll think of something while I cook breakfast."

* * *

The girl spun in a circle, admiring the dress she had chosen with a smile. _'I wonder if they have anything like this in my size. Well… my real size.'_ She stopped spinning and exited the bedroom, and looked curiously at the door in front of her. _'Hmm. What's in here?'_ She crept up to the door and pushed on it, listening as the hinges creaked as it opened.

She stepped inside and was a little disappointed when she couldn't see much. _'It's so dark…'_ Her eyes surveyed the room and she was able to make out some bookshelves, a desk with a computer on it, and a chair. _'Everything in this place is rather clean… and kind of bland. I wonder if Mamoru-baka has ever heard of an interior designer… he needs some cheerfulness and color in this place.'_

"I see you've stumbled upon my study."

The girl jumped before she turned around and looked up at him. "Are you seriously trying to give me a heart attack, Mamoru-baka?"

"I was looking for you. I wanted to let you know that breakfast is ready."

She smiled as she watched him move away from the door and exited the room, heading straight over to the kitchen table. "Mmm. Whatever you cooked smells delicious."

He followed her footsteps and when he was beside the table he bent down, watching her step onto his palm, and then brought her up to the table. "I hope you like pancakes."

"I love pancakes!" She exclaimed, running off of his palm and across the table, skidding to a stop right in front of the plate.

"You should be careful though, because it's still—"

"Ouch!"

"—hot." Mamoru watched her hold her tiny hand as tears descended down her cheeks. "Let me see your hand, pixie-Odango."

She held out the red palm to him. "It hurts…" she whimpered.

He held her hand upon his index finger and gently placed his lips to it while his eyes locked with hers, both of them unaware of the faint golden glow radiating from his lips and her injury.

She inhaled sharply. "I never realized that your eyes contained gold flecks in them." She murmured.

"Mmm," he replied.

* * *

"Don't you think we should have called Usagi-chan to announce our arrival?" Ami asked as she held onto the purse on her shoulder, listening to the elevator chime as it climbed up the floors.

"Iie. We should be allowed inside his apartment." Rei huffed, tapping her foor impatiently, "Besides, I bet she has already made a mess of his apartment… and he's probably ripping his hair out in frustration."

"Do you think there might be a chance she found out more about those words?" Makoto questioned after the elevator doors opened.

They stepped out of the elevator and walked down the hall looking for Mamoru's apartment. Soon, the girls froze as they stared at one of the doors.

"This is… the correct apartment, right?" Ami whispered.

"…I'm positive that this is the address I found in the phone book." The miko replied, glancing at the numbers on the door.

"Why is there a box for Barbie's Dream House outside Mamoru-san's apartment?" Minako chuckled. "I wonder if he got Barbie's Dream Car, too. Imagine Usagi-chan driving all around his apartment—"

"—I don't want to imagine her with a driver's license." Rei shuddered as images of a car driving on sidewalks with a certain Odango Atama behind the wheel flashed through her mind.

Ami looked down at her feet and mumbled, "Goddess… help us all when Usagi-chan gets her driver's license."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

* * *

_'If this wasn't such a serious moment, I'd think we were having a staring contest.' _Usagi thought as she took a step toward Mamoru, feeling as though she was being hypnotized by his eyes. Loud, rapid knocking at the front door brought her back to reality and she pulled her hand away from his finger, and then turned her back to him to conceal the flush of her cheeks.

The man blinked a few times in an attempt to regain his senses._ 'Who on Earth could that be?'_ He wondered as he slowly walked toward the door and opened it. "…You." He eyed the four girls standing in the hallway. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, we were just in the neighborhood!" Minako chirped, flashing him a smile as she stood on her tip-toes and tried to look passed him. "Where is she?"

"She's over there," he replied, pointing to the pixie-sized girl who was currently sitting on the table and looking at her palm. He watched her head turn toward the door, a smile gracing her lips. With a sigh, he sidestepped from the doorway and allowed them to enter. "I can't believe my apartment is being taken over by children," he muttered as he watched the girls huddle around the table, and then closed the door.

Minako placed her arms onto the table and leaned down to the small girl's eye level. "So, Usagi-chan, how has Mamoru-san been treating you?"

"He's been so… weird the past few hours."

"What do you mean?" Rei asked.

"I mean… there are times when he's really courteous and treats me like a human being." She thought for a moment before adding, "Almost like Tuxedo Kamen would, but with less cheesy lines."

"Ooh, Usagi-chan," Minako grinned, "you shouldn't compare your enemy to your cr— OWW!" She whimpered, looking down at her pinky just as the tiny girl moved away from her hand. "Hey! You left tiny teeth marks! And that really hurt, too."

The man snickered. "Perhaps you really are a blood-sucker, Odango."

Rei turned her head toward him and raised an eyebrow. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Never mind." He sighed, running his fingers through his bangs. "Look, can we just figure out what the Hell is going on before I succumb to the insanity that this situation has created?"

"Hai," Ami nodded. "…So, we know that the words Usagi-chan had heard sounded a bit like Lama Slyly Lotus… Loyal Flu It… Lea Evil Zero… Arisen Thy Our…"

"How did you know about the last line, Mamoru-san?" Asked Makoto.

"I've heard it before," he shrugged as he looked away from the girls, "in a dream."

"You heard it in a dream?" Minako reiterated.

"Hai. But that's all I can tell you."

"He knows about the ginzuishou." Usagi whispered to the group surrounding her. "Which means he might know about the Princess, too. Though we haven't had that discussion yet."

"**NANI**!?" The girls exclaimed simultaneously. "But… how…when…why…" The questions were coming from their mouths all at once in a rush, which had the small girl covering her ears and slowly backing away from the frantic girls.

"You know, you have a knack for startling people, Odango." Mamoru said as he looked at the girls who were now practically staring at him. _'Oh, great. Interrogation time.'_

"Mamoru-san," Makoto peered curiously at him. "As Tuxedo Kamen, are you an ally or enemy?"

"If Tuxedo Kamen and the Sailor Senshi are after the same thing, I suppose you could classify me as an enemy."

The pixie-sized girl jumped up from her sitting position and spun around to face the man, pointing her index finger at him. "Maybe that's why we, as Tsukino Usagi and Chiba Mamoru, don't get along! Because we, as Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen, are sworn enemies!"

The man sweat dropped. "R-right. That's exactly it. My alter-ego is your alter-ego's sworn enemy, but yet he comes in and rescues you in the nick of time—"

"How come it's always right as I see my life flash before my eyes, anyway? Couldn't you interrupt the battle before I think I'm going to die?"

"I think we should start focusing on the task at hand rather than discussing your secret identities…" Ami interrupted in an attempt to stop the Usagi/Mamoru verbal ping-pong match before it began.

Unfortunately, he didn't hear the soft-spoken, blue-haired girl. Instead, he shrugged his shoulders in response to the other girl's question. "I like to see if you can actually handle the battle before I make my heroic entrance—"

Usagi stifled a chuckle as she crossed her arms over her chest. "And say those ridiculous speeches." She muttered.

"Ano… guys. Really. We should work on figuring out what's going on—"

"What I say as Tuxedo Kamen is not ridiculous, it's poetic—"

"I think you mean pathetic," the pixie-sized girl countered.

"—encouraging, and distracts the enemy so you can attempt to get a handle over the situation."

Rei cleared her throat. "**Enough**!" She yelled and watched the bickering two flinch at the volume of her voice. She exhaled deeply, calming herself down, and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger. "Let's figure out what's going on… alright? You two can argue all you want after we leave." Her hand went back to her side as she watched Mamoru lean against the wall and cross his arms across his chest.

"Rei-chan's right." Minako said as she looked at the now silent pair. "So what does that mean, anyway? Why would Llama's slyly lotus to loyal flu it?"

"Maybe it's a code." Makoto thought for a moment. "Perhaps the words really mean something else."

Ami gasped. "Like an anagram!" She eyed the corner of the table and slid a piece of paper in front of herself, then reached for one of the pens on the table, and scrawled the words on the paper. "We need to think of what these words can spell. Let's put some of the words together and see what we can come up with."

"How about," Usagi tapped her index finger against her chin. "Slyly Evil Arisen? That could create…"

"Several Silly Yin!" The Senshi of Venus exclaimed.

"Minako-chan," Ami shook her head, "that doesn't make any sense."

She bowed her head in defeat.

"What about," Makoto leaned forward and looked at the paper as she thought carefully, "Layers Lively Sin?"

Ami shook her head again, "I don't think that's what it is, either."

"How about we take the words, how they are, piece by piece?" Rei suggested, pointing to the first line, "What could we create with Lama Slyly Lotus?"

"Ooh, how about A Mall Sully Toys, or La Loyally Smuts? Wait, what about Loyally Ma Sluts?"

"MINAKO!" Ami gasped as she covered her ears.

Mamoru pushed himself off of the wall and walked over to the girls. "What about All Small You Sty?"

Usagi watched his movements as her eyes narrowed to slits, "Did you just call me a sty, Mamoru-baka?"

"Iie, Usagi-chan," Ami said, writing a word down onto the paper. "but I think Mamoru-san's on the right track. Small does seem to fit in."

Minako snapped her fingers and smiled. "Maybe it's Small Lay Lust Yo!"

"Iie, Minako," Rei shook her head, "just… iie."

The Senshi of Venus threw her hands up in frustration. "I give up! You guys figure it out."

"Ami-chan," Usagi tilted her head a little, "what letters do we have remaining?"

"There's two L's, an A, two Y's, a U, S, T, and an O."

"Loyalty Us?" Makoto whispered, "Small… Loyalty Us?"

"A Small Loyalty to Us?" Mamoru repeated. _'Where would the 'Us' come from?'_

Ami's eyes grew wide as she whispered, "That has to be it," and wrote the words on the paper. "A Small Loyalty to Us. Could this be about the Princess… but there was only one, right?" she muttered. She shook her head and spoke louder, "The next words on the list are Loyal Flu It, and since Loyalty belongs in the first group of words, than the Loyal in this sentence must be incorrect."

"A Flout Lily?" Rei shook her head at her own question. "Oh, what about All Lift You?"

"'You' appears to make the most sense." Ami replied as she jotted it down on the paper. "That leaves an A, three L's, an I, F, and a T."

Makoto snapped her fingers and exclaimed, "Fall Lit!"

"Mako-chan," Usagi scratched her head, "what's a fall lit?"

Ami wrote the words down anyway, "Small Loyalty Us, You fall lit." She tapped the pencil against the paper. "What could that mean?"

"What if lit was actually 'til?" Mamoru questioned.

"You fall 'til… fall 'til you… 'Til You Fall?"

"But I don't want to fall!" Usagi pouted. "It's bad enough that I need Mamoru-baka's help to get around." she blinked. "Does that mean," Her eyes went wide, "…that I'm going to fall and die somehow!?" She turned her head and looked at the man, pointing at him. "I am not leaving your apartment!"

"I believe pixie-Odango has officially lost her marbles and needs to be committed before I do."

"Mamoru-san," Ami looked up from the paper. "…we are taking this seriously—"

"As am I, but this whole thing is ridiculous! Why can't the Sailor Senshi watch over Odango?"

Ami coughed.

Rei looked at the floor.

Makoto glared at him.

Usagi shook her head at his obliviousness.

"Ano… Mamoru-san?" Minako gave him a small smile, "Maybe you should just… go."

"…Why? What did I say?"

"Just go!" The girls pointed to the hallway, listening as the man mumbled something about children and apartment.

"Ami, this whole thing is confusing." Makoto whispered. "I mean, what does Small Loyalty Us… 'Til You Fall have anything to do with Usagi-chan?"

The blue-haired girl placed her pencil down on the paper and looked at the girls. "Maybe the Small Loyalty Us is a message from the Princess."

"N-Nani!?" Usagi squeaked. "B-but why would she leave a message for me!?"

"We should speak to Luna and Artemis about this. Maybe they can help—"

"Where has Luna been since I haven't been home to take care of her?" Usagi wondered.

"Oh, she's been with Artemis at my place. They've been leaving every night, though." Minako shrugged. "I'm not quite sure why."

The pixie-sized girl sweat dropped. _'Great. My cat's going out on dates while I'm stuck wearing doll clothes and sleeping at Mamoru-baka's house. Life is so unfair.'_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

* * *

"So, you and Usagi-chan will discuss what 'Small Loyalty Us, 'Til You Fall' could mean. Alright, Mamoru-san?" Ami said as she walked to his front door.

"Hai. If you and the others figure out anything before we do, let us know. Onegai?"

"Hai, of course."

_"Hurry up, Ami-chan! Don't you realize that it's raining? I don't think we want to be stuck like a paddle without a creek!"_ Minako yelled from the hallway.

"Ano," The blue-haired girl said as she opened her purse and pulled out two objects. "These belong to Usagi-chan. Make sure she has them handy; she knows what they are."

He took the objects from her hands and eyed them curiously. One he recognized as the calculator that the girls had used at Rei's, and the other he recognized as the brooch that the odangoed-haired girl had always worn on her school uniform. He was a bit confused, to say the least, and just nodded his head slowly.

With a small smile, Ami let herself out of the apartment, and closed the door behind her.

The man let out a sigh as he leaned against the door. "That went well," he said as he rolled his eyes and shook his head. "We sure learned a lot." He pushed himself away and walked over to the kitchen table. As he sat down in one of the chairs, he placed the items on the table and added, "It took us a few hours to come up with the first part of the message, but we still have the second half to figure out." His shoulders slumped a bit. "I'd just like to resume my life the way it was before all of… this."

"Mmm," the pixie-sized girl nodded her head in agreement. "I'd be able to wear normal clothes, take a shower, and eat something that's bigger than I am, and sleep in a real bed and not a doll bed—"

"I'd have my apartment, solitude, and sanity back."

"You'd go back to being Mamoru-baka."

"You'd go back to being Odango Atama."

"Hai," the girl replied as she stood up and looked down at her feet. "Things would go back to normal."

"Things would go back to normal," the man said as the corner of his lips twitched into a smile. He sighed again as his eyes roamed over the table and he quickly frowned. "Speaking of which, I better start picking up the mess you and your friends made," he stood and began to clean up some of the empty plates. "I never knew how much you all could eat. Mostly you, though. Even in your pixie size, you still manage to eat a lot."

Usagi lifted her head and watched him walk around the table to gather the rest of the dishes._ '…I'm not sure if I want to go back to you calling me Odango Atama. I kind of enjoy getting along with you…'_ She thought as he walked into the kitchen.

After Mamoru placed the dishes into the sink, he reached a hand out to turn on the water, but before he could, a heavy feeling flooded his chest and he leaned against the counter. Immediately, he shut his eyes and took a slow, deep breath. _'What's happening to me?'_ He brought a hand up to his chest and rubbed it. _'Is this whole thing detrimental to my physical health, too? Maybe it's just stress. Hai, that's it.'_

Meanwhile, the pixie-sized girl watched her feet as she took step after step toward the end of the table._ 'Small Loyalty Us... Of course I have a loyalty to the Princess. I am Sailor Moon, after all. I am the leader of the Senshi, and it's my duty to protect her. But 'til I fall? How exactly will I fall?'_ She stopped when she reached the edge and looked over it. _'I don't think I'm supposed to fall off of the table…_' She heard the sound of running water, which she figured was the man washing the dishes, and she turned on her heel and began to walk to the opposite end. _'And this whole situation with the ba— I mean, Mamoru, is confusing. Is it possible that there might be something that I don't know? Could he finally be acknowledging that I have feelings and that it's not nice to tease me?'_

"Usa—ngo, watch out!"

The girl gasped when she heard his voice yell out to her and realized that she was about to walk off the edge of the table. She slowly backed away and chuckled nervously. "That would've been bad… but at least I would have fallen."

"I don't think the message meant falling from a table," he remarked as he walked back over the table, sitting down in the chair that was closest to her. "Though I really can't think of another way for you to fall."

"You're a big help. Arigatō."

* * *

"It's raining pretty hard out there," The man commented as he looked out the window. "I don't recall the forecast mentioning torrential downpours throughout the night." His eyes scanned the skies for even a sliver of the moon that should have been out, but to his disappointment, it was nowhere to be seen. _'Of course. I'm still being punished for what happened, aren't I?'_

"As long as all it does is rain, I don't mind," Usagi muttered to herself as she curled up on the couch.

Suddenly, the room fell into darkness. And she screamed.

Mamoru swiftly maneuvered away from the window and toward his bedroom. "I have candles," he said before disappearing into the room.

_'Why did the power go out? Why did the power go out?'_ She stood up and began to pace. _'Oh no! Oh no! I'm going to fall, aren't I? I'm going to die because I'm going to fall—'_ she sighed softly as she blinked back her tears. _'…And he's supposed to protect me like he protects Sailor Moon as Tuxedo Kamen but he's in there and—'_ Her internal ranting was interrupted by a small light upon the coffee table, and she silently watched as the light illuminated his face.

"There," He stated before blowing out a match head. "I'm sure the power will be back on soon; outages never last long here." He walked around the table and sat down on the couch. "When is your family arriving back from Nagano?" As soon as he asked the question, he realized he wouldn't be able to hear, or read, her answer, so he placed his hand on the cushion by her feet, watching as she stepped on to his palm, and then lifted her close to his face so he could read her lips.

"I believe they're coming home in two days. The wedding was actually today, but they left early because they wanted to do some sightseeing and other boring stuff, since they're not able to go out that way often."

"Oh. So, there's really no pressure to figure this out then, right? None at all." He sighed. "Great."

"If worse comes to worse, I can say I'm over Rei's—"

"That's the oldest trick in the book, pixie-Odango. I'm sure that's an excuse I would have used at one point, if I had parents—"

Silence fell between the pair as they both looked away from each other.

"Gomen'nasai—"

"Whatever you're thinking, or going to say, don't, Usa—ngo. It was a long time ago—"

"I know," she replied as she looked back at him. She knelt and ran her tiny fingertips along the lifeline on his palm. "But, still, gomen'nasai."

Mamoru tilted his head toward the ceiling and sighed a bit, closing his eyes at the girl's soothing gesture. "You're the second person to find out about what happened to my parents. It's one of the few things that I don't care to share with others."

She smiled sadly as her fingertips traveled up to his heart line. "Well, I feel special now. Arigatō. I'm sure it's not an easy thing to tell people."

His eyes opened slowly and he looked back down at her. "I was in a car accident that killed my parents… yet I survived, though I was told that I have amnesia. That's why I need the ginzuishou. I need it to give to a Princess, to help me unlock my memories. I really don't remember anything from before I met you. Gods, I didn't even know I was Tuxedo Kamen until recently."

Usagi froze and stared at him; her vision blurring with tears. _'My goddess…'_ she thought as a tear descended down her cheek.

"Iie. Don't cry. At least, not for me. Onegai?"

She shook her head. "Mamoru, even though you're a baka at times… I think you're a really good person, and no one deserves to go through a tragedy like yours; especially not you. I promise, as Tsukino Usagi and as Sailor Moon, to help you unlock your past, your memories, as best I can."

"Arigatō," he whispered as he felt her fingertips caress his palm once more. "I appreciate that, pixie-Odango."

"Maybe proving my loyalty to the Princess is to bring you to her, since you need her." She smiled a little brighter as she studied the light flickering across his face once more. "You know, this lighting really brings out the gold flecks in your eyes."

"Nani? Did you say something?"

Usagi felt her cheeks flush and she quickly looked at his palm while shaking her head.

"I could have sworn you said something," he smirked. "Must have been my imagination."

"Hai, just your imagination," she muttered before looking back at him. "I didn't say anything."

"I guess the rain is harder and heavier than I had originally thought. Usually the power comes back on right away; it does when there's a thunderstorm—"

"Is this supposed to turn into one?"

"Don't tell me your afraid of thunderstorms…"

"Iie," the girl replied, shaking her head back and forth. "Iie, not at all."

"Somehow, I don't believe that."

"Well, maybe a little, and don't you dare laugh at me."

Mamoru shook his head. "I won't. At least, not tonight."

"Of course. Use that as ammunition for another day. I should have realized that…" She said before a yawn escaped her mouth, and she curled up on his palm.

"It is getting late, isn't it? Sleep tight, pixie-Odango."

And as he watched the girl fall asleep, he couldn't help but wonder… _'When did I start falling for Usa—ngo?'_

"Kuso ō." The man muttered as he cautiously laid down on the couch, placing the girl on his chest, and then stared at the ceiling. _'How on Earth can things go back to the way they were now?'_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

* * *

_'What sounds like a drum?'_ The tiny girl wondered as she shut her eyes tightly, trying to fall back asleep. _'Did he turn on the radio last night?'_ She squirmed a bit and rolled over, hoping to get rid of the noise. _'Nani? It's still there…'_ A sigh escaped her as she rubbed her eyes and sat up slowly, and then placed her palms down on a hard surface. When she opened her eyes, she blushed when her line of sight met Mamoru's chin and she let out a nervous laugh. _'Oh… He must have placed me on his chest before falling asleep… and the sound I heard must have been his heart beating.'_ Carefully, she stood up and stretched a bit while her eyes remained focused on the man's chin. _'Goddess, if only he'd sleep forever. Then I wouldn't have to hear him call me Odango.'_ His chest rose beneath her feet and she stumbled a bit before placing her arms out to stabilize her balance. And when his chest lowered back down, she tip-toed her way to his chin and placed her hands on it. She hoisted herself up, smiling as she climbed her way up to his lips. _'He seems rather peaceful. I wonder if he's dreaming…'_

Though Usagi didn't know it, he was already awake; his internal clock had woken him up at sunrise for the past several years, and he would use that time to take a jog and do various other things such as laundry, clean, and, naturally, he added practicing his speeches and rose throwing techniques to his early morning routine immediately after finding out he was Tuxedo Kamen.

He held his breath when he felt her hands on his chin, and when she touched his lips, he exhaled shakily. _'Kuso ō, Usa—ngo. What are you doing?'_ He cracked an eye open and tried his hardest not to smile when he saw her below his nose. Cautiously, he groaned softly and stretched out, then opened his eyes completely.

"Oh! G-good morning," she said as she took a step backwards. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

He brought one of his hands close to his face and picked the girl up by the back of her sundress. "Morning," he spoke, voice laced with sleep, and placed her down onto his palm. "Sleep well?"

"Not too bad. You're rather comfortable," she whispered, momentarily forgetting that, over the last few days, Mamoru had become rather skilled at lip-reading.

"Gods, pixie-Odango… did you just give me a compliment?"

She stammered back a bit and shook her head. "Iie— no way. I said I would like to wash up. Hai, that's what I said."

The man looked at the ceiling while he thought for a moment. "A shower would be nice, wouldn't it? I might be able to place you in the sink in the bathroom. It'd almost be like taking a bath."

"Oh, that would be great!"

Yawning, he sat up on the couch and looked back at her. "You should be able to use a face cloth as a makeshift towel, and we still have some more doll clothes—"

"Could I wear the black dress with the pink hearts?"

"If you really want too," he balanced her on his palm as he stood up and made his way over to the closet to grab the doll box. "Though there are a few more boxes—"

"I know," she smiled a bit. _'But, if I recall correctly, you said you liked that dress.'_

* * *

After the man took the doll out of the box and removed its dress, he walked over to his linen closet and grabbed a face cloth. When he reached the bathroom, he set Usagi, the dress, and the face cloth on the counter and filled the sink up with warm water.

"Alright, you're all set. You can probably just slide in," he said, turning the tap off.

"Ano, Mamoru?"

"Hmm?"

"Could you do me a favor?"

"Depends on what the favor is."

"Keep me company. Onegai? You could take a shower while I take a bath," her hands gripped the bottom of her sundress. "I… I just don't want to end up unplugging the drain or something—"

"What good would I be if I was in the shower while you went down the drain?"

"I… just don't leave."

He swallowed hard. "Fine. Let me go get my things…"

She smiled as soon as his back was turned and watched him walk out of the room. _'I'm enjoying this. He seems to have woken up on the right side of the… couch this morning.'_ She pulled the dress over her head. _'I wonder if I could make him bark like a dog, or bake me a giant cake…'_ Her hands ran down her sides, stopping at the top of her underwear and she slipped them off. _'Who knows? Maybe we could even be friends…'_ She smiled more at her thoughts as she sat on the counter and slid slowly into the water.

Mamoru made his way back into the room, purposely not looking toward the sink, or thinking about the tiny girl who was naked, bathing in the sink, and set his clothes down by the shower. "I'm not sure how well I'll be able to keep you company," he said before taking his shirt off, "but I'll try." He stepped into the shower and closed the curtain before undressing completely. He tossed the clothes as far away as he could so they wouldn't get wet, and turned the water on; making sure it was a bit colder than he was comfortable with. His body shivered as the chilled water fell onto his skin.

_'Don't think about her in the sink,'_ he turned the water down and bit his bottom lip. _'Don't think about her in the bath,'_ and again, the water turned colder. _'__Kuso ō_. Don't think about her—' once more, he turned the water down and frowned as he realized that he had just shut the water off. _'Well, that was a quick.'_ He reached for his towel, then began to dry off. _'She better not ask what just happened,_' he dropped the towel into the bathtub and reached for his clothes, thinking it'd be best to get dressed behind the curtain.

After he got dressed and took a few deep breaths to compose himself, he picked up the towel, stepped out of the shower, and tossed the towel into a hamper. "Whenever you're ready," he said as he looked at his reflection in the mirror and walked over to the sink counter, his hands feeling around for the face cloth. Once he had it, he lowered it down, being careful not to dip it into the water. "Just tug on it… or something, so I know you're done."

Usagi instantly tugged on it with all her might and watched him lower it more, which caused the bottom half to get soaked. "I guess we can't be perfect," she muttered as she pinched his fingers, making him release the face cloth completely. She quickly wrapped it around herself then looked up at him and noticed that his attention was not on her, but rather the mirror, and frowned. "Pick me up, you baka! I'm getting wet down here!" With a huff, she bent over, placed her hands in the water and attempted to splash him. Unfortunately, the water didn't make it out of the sink, but the noise was enough to get his attention.

"Gomen, pixie-Odango," he looked down at her sheepishly and placed his hand near her so she could get out of the sink. "I just didn't want to… Ano…"

The girl crossed her arms over her chest as she shivered. "You baka. I'm freezing!"

"I said gomen," he placed her down on the counter near the dress. "Some parts of the cloth are still dry. Just use that."

* * *

What the man failed to realize is that after the girl took a bath and got dressed, she had to brush her hair. And so the minutes ticked away as he held her on his palm in front of the bathroom mirror.

"Are you almost finished?" He grunted. "My hand is beginning to cramp."

"Hush," she took the brush out of her hair and swatted his palm with it, then continued to brush her hair. _'Twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven…_' she counted the brush strokes.

To say that Mamoru was relieved to place Usagi on the bed fifteen minutes later was an understatement. He flexed his hand a few times, wincing as he did so, and watched her sit down. "How many times did you run that brush through your hair?"

"I lost track," she shrugged and patted the top of her head where one of her trademark odangoes should be. "I wish you had mini hair ties…"

"I offered you rubber bands before we left the bathroom."

"Do you know how difficult they are to get out of your hair? Not to mention that, half the time, they get caught and you have to get someone to cut a piece of it to get them out. And there's no way I'd let you go near my hair with scissors." She placed her hands by her sides and smiled. "At least you can't call me Odango Atama now."

"Iie," the man sat down on the bed near her. "Even if you never wore that hairstyle again, you'd always be Odango Atama to me." He shifted a bit on the bed. "So, what were the objects Ami dropped off before she left yesterday?" He paused for a moment and then added, "I don't understand why you own a calculator. If you solved a problem with one, the answer would still be wrong."

The girl crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "Why should I tell you what they are?"

"Well, if you haven't noticed, I have an advantage over you and could easily put them out of your reach. Or should I say, even more out of your reach?"

"How can you go from being decent to me one minute to teasing me the next? I don't understand it, Mamoru—"

"I'm just joking around—"

"You sure don't act like you're joking half the time, baka."

"It's… Ano, I… I like you, alright?" He looked away from her. "I suppose I always have," he whispered. "And it's strange to me, to have these feelings that are so foreign come to the surface whenever you're around. When I act polite, I don't exactly know what comes over me," he looked back at her, "so, in the end, I resort to teasing you… because it's familiar ground."

"That… is the oddest explanation and confession I've ever heard."

"Pardon me if you were expecting a faerie tale, pixie-Odango. This is real life… not some kind of story."

"Well, I like you, too. I think we'd make great friends."

"Friends." The man reiterated as he stood up. "Hai, friends. That's exactly what I meant." He sighed as he ran his fingers through his bangs. "Anyway, I need to run a few errands—" he turned on his heel and walked to the door.

"Can I come?"

He gripped the doorknob tightly in his hand and swung the door open. "I'll be back later."

_'Nani? …Was it something I said?'_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

* * *

"Just a… bit more…" Usagi huffed. After Mamoru left, she decided that she didn't want to spend the day in the man's room, so she thought that, maybe, pushing one of his gigantic pillows off of the bed would aid in her escape. Needless to say, it was a task that had taken a while. When the pillow finally plopped on the floor, she grinned triumphantly. "Well, if I'm supposed to fall… here goes!" She shut her eyes as tight as she could and fell off of the bed.

"Ow," she muttered, opening her eyes slowly. "I'll never do that again. Now I know that the message meant that I'm not supposed to literally fall…" With a sigh, she stood up and dusted herself off, then stepped off of the pillow and onto the floor. "I should try to get in touch with one of the girls and let them know that I decoded part of the message… Why am I talking to myself?"

The pixie-sized girl slipped out of the room and made her way to the kitchen table. _'How am I supposed to get my communicator?'_ She thought for a moment before wrapping her arms around the leg and attempted to climb up. _'This is about as frustrating as Mamoru…'_ She let out a defeated sigh, unwrapped her arms from the table and took a step back as she glanced around the room. _'Of course this place is spotless. I was hoping to find something that could help me…'_ She turned around, walked over to the closet, and noticed the door was slightly ajar. She slipped inside with ease, but then frowned. _'I can't see a thing!'_

With her arms extended, she felt around and found something that was slender, hard, and smooth. _'What could this be—Ack!'_ With quick reflexes, she moved out-of-the-way as the object fell over, hitting the door open a bit more before thumping down on the floor. _'A broom. I wonder if that would work.'_ The girl walked out of the closet, grabbed hold of the broom and dragged it, albeit slowly, over to the table. She gripped it tightly and tried to pick it up.

_'I can… I can…'_ she grunted. _'It's… just… a broom!'_ Her eyes glared at the object. _'Usually they're so light! Ugh!'_

Suddenly, the communicator fell off of the table. No, pixie-sized Usagi did not get help from a strange and mysterious outside source. No way—

"Thanks, author," she whispered as she climbed onto it, then pressed a button that resembled the symbol of Venus.

_"Usagi-chan, is everything alright?" _Minako's voice came through the speaker sounding slightly panicked._ "Where's the Youma?"_

"Hai, I'm fine. This is a personal call. …I think I figured part of the message out."

_"What is it? Should I get in touch with the others now—"_

"Not yet. But I think the way I prove my loyalty to the Princess is by bringing Mamoru to her."

_"What does Mamoru-san have to do with the Princess?"_

"I can't really go into details, but it's the reason he's after the ginzuishou."

_"Why don't you let me talk to him about it—"_

"He's not here."

_"Nani? He left you there alone?"_

"Hai. We were talking, and then he said he liked me, and then he just… left."

_"He said he liked you, and then he left? You silly girl! It means he likes you!"_

"I know, and I told him that we'd make great friends—"

_"Iie, Usagi-chan! He meant he likes— Ano — cares about you."_

"N-Nani? There's no way that baka cares about me. Most guys don't act the way he does when they care about someone!"

"Ooh, Usagi-chan! You've got to hear this song! It's amazing…"

_…**Speak, c'mon and let it out  
Give it to me, you know that I can take it  
Speak, because the more you say, the more I'm at ease  
C'mon don't keep me waiting now**…_

_"Ano… Not that…"_

_…**That time when we met**_  
**_That dear look I'll never forget_**  
**_Among millions of stars I'll find you_**  
**_Coincidences becoming chances_**_…_

_"Iie, iie. Not that either. Ah, here we go! Listen to this."_

**_This appears to be the end of the road_**  
**_And there are no sights to behold_**  
**_Yet I can't go back the way I came_**  
**_I only have myself to blame_**

**_For sometimes feeling so alone_**  
**_With feelings that are not unknown_**  
**_to me, But if I try to speak it my throat seizes_**  
**_My heart palpitates; my brain freezes_**

**_Like an echo of a memory tugging at my mind_**  
**_Something I can't grasp is what I need to find_**  
**_And I know that you'll be there if I need a hand_**  
**_It seems as though fate has something planned_**

**_You just have to realize_**  
**_You have to realize_**

**_That I've gotten the message but I'm searching the wrong places_**  
**_Being guided by voices and different faces_**  
**_Could it be that everything I do_**  
**_Will eventually lead me to you_**

* * *

**_I've found myself at the end of the road_**  
**_And there's so much beauty to behold_**  
**_Yet I can't go back the way I came_**  
**_I only have myself to blame_**

**_For sometimes feeling so alone_**  
**_With feelings that are so unknown_**  
**_to me, But I can't help getting lost in your eyes_**  
**_And when you hold me, my stomach fills with butterflies_**

**_Like an echo of a memory at the edge of my mind_**  
**_Something I don't understand is what I need to find_**  
**_And I know that you'll be there if I need a hand_**  
**_It seems as though fate has something planned_**

**_You just have to realize_**  
**_You have to realize_**

**_That I've gotten the message but I'm searching the wrong places_**  
**_Being guided by voices and different faces_**  
**_Could it be that everything I do_**  
**_Will eventually lead me to you_**

"And that was the lovely Essandeee with the chart-topping single Realize—" Mamoru turned the ignition off and leaned his head against the steering wheel.

_'How am I supposed to tell Usako that there is another way to fall? She won't believe me.'_

* * *

"What does that song have to do with me, Minako-chan?"

_"I didn't say it had anything to do with you. I just thought it was kawaii and wanted someone else to hear it."_

"Oh."

_"Anyway, just remember that there isn't enough sea for the fish!"_

"Nani?"

_"Before you go to sleep tonight, you should think about the pros and cons when it comes to Mamoru-san. Like, his looks are definitely a pro—"_

"Minako-chan, that's just—"

_"Just do it. Onegai? Maybe you'll be surprised at the results!"_

"But—"

_"Oops, gotta go! Ja ne, Usagi-chan!"_

Usagi sighed as she stood up and stretched a bit. _'Well, that was unexpected. Ano, maybe not. She is Minako-chan after all. But for me to do a pro and con list for Mamoru-baka? Ridiculous—'_

The sound of the front door shook the girl from her thoughts and she turned just in time to hear the door once again and see Mamoru walk into the kitchen with bags in his hands. _'I wonder what he bought.'_

He placed the bags onto the counter and slumped against it. _'Just act normal, you baka,'_ he reached into one of the bags and pulled out a chocolate chip muffin. _'It's not like she knows what you meant, anyway.'_ He opened a cabinet door and pulled out a plate, then put the muffin on it. _'Friends. Friends. Friends,'_ his mind chanted as he placed the dish off to the side and began to take the other items out of the bags.

Once he was done, he grabbed the plate with the muffin on it and walked out of the kitchen. _'She should still be in the bedroom…'_ He thought as he made his way there, but as he passed by the closet, he stopped abruptly. _'I didn't leave this open…'_ He swiftly jogged into his room and dropped the plate, faintly hearing it smash to pieces. "Usagi?!" He called out, eying the room carefully; his heart racing when he saw the pillow on the floor. "Usako!?" He yelled again as he rushed out of the room and toward the dining area. He slowed his movements and sank to his knees when he saw the pixie-sized girl standing by the table. "Usa—ngo. Oh Gods, you're alright," he breathed.

"Of course I'm alright. I've been here, waiting for you to get back."

"Don't ever scare me like that again," he whispered as he looked down at his lap. "I thought something happened to you."

"Hai, what happened was that I got bored…" She knelt, and tried to get his attention. "Mamoru…?"

"How did you manage to open the closet door? And why?" He asked, lifting his head so he could see her reply.

"You left it open a bit. I didn't open it that far. The broom did that." She pointed at the object on the floor. "I wanted to get this," she then pointed down at her communicator. "Which, by the way, isn't a calculator. It's a communicator. The other object, that is still on the table, is my brooch."

He nodded his head slowly. "Was there any trouble—"

"Iie. I just wanted to talk to Minako-chan."

"Have the girls… figured anything out?"

"Iie. But, I figured out that I have to bring you to the Princess in order to prove my loyalty to her. …I just don't understand the falling aspect of it."

"I… don't think you're meant too."

"Nani? Why?"

"It's not that easy to explain," he sighed. "But, I thought if I fell—"

"Oh Goddess, you fell? Are you alright? Did it hurt?"

He closed his eyes. "I'm fine. I guess I just couldn't help it—"

"Maybe my clumsiness is rubbing off on you," Usagi replied with a halfhearted giggle.

He opened his eyes and gave her a weak smile. "While doing my errands, I stopped at the bakery and got you a muffin," he pushed himself up off of the floor and brushed his pants off. "Unfortunately, it's now on my bedroom floor." He walked over to the broom and picked it up. "Gomen," he whispered before heading off to clean up the mess.

_"He meant he likes— Ano — cares about you… Before you go to sleep tonight, you should think about the pros and cons when it comes to Mamoru-san…"_ Echoed through the girl's mind as she slowly sat down on her communicator.

* * *

_'Ano… he does seem to care for my well-being.'_ Usagi thought as she stared at the ceiling. She had spent most of the day sitting in the living room while the man spent time in his study. Now that night had fallen, she found herself lying on a pillow and surrounded by darkness. _'I mean, he was there multiple times to catch me before I got hurt. Not Sailor Moon, but **me**… So, since he does that as Tuxedo Kamen as well…Would that count as one pro or two? And he was nice enough to buy me clothes to wear when he didn't have too… and let me stay here, even though he said he did it to prove a point to the girls. Is that one pro and a con? He fed me, which is definitely a pro… but he teased me a lot, which is a major con… Oh, this is so confusing!…'_ She huffed as she turned on her side, crossing her arms as she closed her eyes. _'Why am I spending so much time on this? He's just Mamoru-baka, right?'_

_"Maybe you'll be surprised at the results!" _Minako's voice chirped in her mind.

_'I'll admit that he isn't as much of a baka as I thought he was… and that, over the last few days, I don't know what I feel when it comes to him. And, maybe, I'll miss seeing him every morning and feeling… whatever this is, when things get back to normal…'_ She sighed a bit as she felt a breeze ghost over her skin.

"Maybe… I'm falling for Mamo-chan…"


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

* * *

"_You weren't guiding me to the ginzuishou these last few nights…_" Mamoru stated as he squinted a bit, hoping to see a familiar silhouette. But his effort was in vain; the fog was just too dense to see through.

"_What makes you assume that?_" A soft, feminine voice spoke next to his ear.

He turned quickly, but still saw nothing. "_I'm not assuming, Princess. I figured out the message—_"

"_Ah, did you now? I knew you were smart. I'm glad you listened and stopped playing games._"

"_What happens now that I've realized—_"

A small breeze brushed passed his ear and he heard her whisper, "_Oh, you'll find out what happens now…_"

* * *

A faint sound stirred the man from his slumber and he reluctantly opened his eyes to look at the clock.

**1:50** A.M.

He got out of bed with a sigh and followed the noise, which led him to the dining area where Usagi's communicator was.

"Kuso ō." He muttered as he picked it up and returned to his room. "Pixie-Odango," after flicking on the light, he looked at the object in his hand, "your communicator is beeping…" He stepped close to the bed, grabbed the blanket, and pulled it down.

She screamed, and his head snapped up to see a…

Very scared,  
Normal-sized,  
Rather… naked

"Usa—ngo!?" He took a step back and covered his eyes with his free hand. "I… You're… Your communicator…" He tossed it on the bed and quickly left the room.

With shaky hands, the girl picked it up and pressed a button. "…K-konnichi'wa…" She said, watching Sailor Jupiter's image show up on the screen.

"_We need you, Sailor Moon!_" Her voice shouted through the speaker. "_There's a nasty Youma in the park!_"

"I-I can try to transform—"

"_You'll have to do more than try! Mercury said that going through the transformation might bring you to normal size, tempor—_"

"Mako-chan? Mako-chan!?" Usagi yelled frantically into the communicator, but all she heard was static. Immediately she jumped out of the bed, wrapped the blanket around her body, making sure to grip it tightly, and then ran out of the room. "Mamoru! Mamoru-san, I need my brooch!"

The man grabbed the item off of the table and tossed it to her, watching as she caught it single-handedly.

"Arigatō," she said before turning around, loosening her grip on the blanket. "Moon Prism Power! Makeup!" She shouted, holding the brooch up high into the air.

The man took a step back and shielded his eyes as the girl was surrounded by a swirl of bright lights and ribbons; hues of red, blue, yellow, pink, and white covered her body momentarily before vanishing completely. When he moved his hands away from his eyes, he smiled a bit as he saw a familiar person step away from the blanket on the floor.

Sailor Moon looked over her shoulder and returned the smile. "Jupiter called and said there has been a Youma sighting… I have to go."

"…I figured. Glad to see you back, Sailor Moon."

"Arigatō. For everything. I guess it's not the others who owe you something big. I hope I can repay you someday…"

The man simply nodded and watched her sprint to the balcony door.

"I'll see you around, Mamo—ru," she said before opening the door, running to the balcony edge and jumping down.

'_One…_' With a flick of his wrist, a rose appeared in his hand. '_Two… Three…_' He stepped forward and closed his eyes. '_…Four…_'

"Five." His heart was thumping, veins thrumming, with feelings so familiar. He opened his eyes and smirked, then sprinted toward the balcony to follow Sailor Moon's footsteps.

'_I won't let you down this time._'

* * *

From where she stood, Sailor Moon could see her fellow Senshi battling the Youma — '_A seriously grotesque creature…_' She thought. '_Is that an avocado as its head? And an oversized watermelon as its body? Is it shooting out… egg whites at them?_' She shuddered a bit. "Our enemy is… made up of healthy foods?"

"Crescent Beam!" Sailor Venus called out, feeling the energy flow from her index finger that was pointed at the monster. It swiftly dodged the attack and sent out one of its own; egg whites splattered the Senshi of Venus from head to toe and she immediately collapsed to the ground.

"Sailor V!" Moon cried, jumping down from a tree branch and landing on the ground below. Her fingers coiled into fists at her sides as she turned toward the monster. "How dare you interrupt young girls trying to get a good night's sleep by attempting to give them a healthy snack! That's unforgivable!"

"HEALTHY!" It roared, turning its brussel sprout eyes onto the new-comer.

"I'm the pretty sailor soldier of love and justice, Sailor Moon! In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!" She said, striking her signature pose.

"Well, it's about time." Sailor Mars spoke up from behind the Youma. "Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mercury got knocked out ten minutes ago!"

Sailor Moon stumbled a bit before turning her attention to the Senshi of Mars. "I had some important matters to attend too!"

"Being with Mamoru-san isn't important— Watch out!"

Egg whites launched out of carrot fingers and headed straight for the Senshi of the Moon, but with quick maneuvering and a bit of running, she was able to dodge them. "Why did the Dark Kingdom have to send this… thing? I mean, it's frightening enough that mama tries to make me eat this stuff but— AHH!" The monster launched an eggplant and a squash toward her at high-speed.

"Sailor Moon!" Mars shouted, rushing over to her side to move her out-of-the-way. But before she could get there, two roses flew through the air and pinned the flying food into the soil.

"HEALTHY!?" The monster roared once again, looking around, wondering where the roses could have come from.

"It isn't nice to try to make young girls eat a healthy snack when they're supposed to be getting a good night's sleep." Tuxedo Kamen said, jumping down from the same tree branch Sailor Moon had jumped from.

"Tuxedo Kamen!" The two girls cried out in unison.

"I almost said the same exact thing, Tuxedo Kamen!" Moon said, blushing a bit as she looked over at him.

"Instead," he continued, "young girls should eat healthy snacks during the daytime!"

"I… wouldn't say that." She shook her head in disgust. "No way. Carrots are repulsive… Wait, why does that sound so oddly familiar?"

The Youma stretched its zucchini arms out toward the man and pointed a carrot finger at him. "HEALTHY!"

"Tuxedo Kamen!" Sailor Moon shouted, rushing over to him as Sailor Mars trailed a few steps behind her.

"Fire…" Mars said, feeling the flames beginning to burning within her fingertips. Her eyes narrowed into slits while she focused on the monster.

"Iie, Mars! They're too close together! You're likely to hit Tuxedo Kamen by mistake."

Suddenly, the Youma turned slightly and launched its attack, pelting Sailor Mars with egg whites.

Sailor Moon turned around to look at her fellow Senshi who had fallen to the ground. "Gross! I swear I will never eat vegetables… ever. …Why can't I just go back to Mamoru-san's and have a chocolate chip muffin?"

"Now, Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Kamen said, jumping over the vegetable monster and landing beside her.

She responded with a simple nod of her head and took her tiara off of her forehead. "Moon… Tiara…" It began to glow as she spun around on one foot, and as she turned to face the monster, she yelled, "…ACTION!" and flung the weapon with all of her might at the Youma.

"HEALTHY!" It managed to yell before being struck by the flying object. The monster was enveloped in a silver glow and when it faded away, all that was left was a pile of dust. The tiara spun back to Sailor Moon like a boomerang and she caught it with ease. After placing it back on her forehead, she watched the egg whites, eggplant, and squash vanish, as if the supernatural food fight never happened. A few groans and grumbles alerted her that her friends were beginning to come around. "Everyone! You're alright!"

Sailor Jupiter lifted her off of the ground and gave a weak smile. "About time… Sailor Moon."

"So… the transformation… worked for now?" Sailor Mercury asked as she supported herself on a tree.

"Iie. I… I don't know what happened, but I was back to normal when my communicator went off—" She gasped as she turned to where Tuxedo Kamen had stood, only to see that he wasn't there.

"Go." Sailor Venus said, causing Sailor Moon to look puzzled. "We'll be fine here, Sailor Moon."

"What do you mean go!?" Sailor Mars questioned as she watched Moon turn around and flee in the same direction Tuxedo Kamen did.

"There's something Sailor Moon… iie, Usagi-chan needs to do."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

* * *

The Senshi of the Moon panted as she ran through the park, silently praying to the moon that Tuxedo Kamen left a clue to his whereabouts. As if the moon was answering her, she saw a glimpse of dark fabric duck behind a tree. "Wait! Onegai. Don't go…" She called out.

The masked man stopped in his tracks and looked up at the sky. "What is it, Sailor Moon?"

She jogged up to him, and then placed one of her gloved hands on her chest in an attempt to regulate her breathing. "I-I just wanted… needed to say that… I like you, Tuxedo Kamen—"

"I know," the man said, looking down at the girl. "You already told me that."

"Iie," she shook her head, averting her eyes away from him. "I mean… I like you. I think I always have." She placed her hand back down by her side, knowing that her heart was now racing for a different reason. "…Usually, you're such a baka to me. You tease me about pretty much everything… and I get so flustered and frustrated that all I can think about, all I can talk about is the way you annoy me. However… over the last couple of days you've not only shown me, but you have proven to me that you care about me in some way. I mean, time and again you were there to save me before I got injured. Not you, as Tuxedo Kamen… but _you_…" Her cheeks flushed slightly as her heart began to flutter against her chest. "And I know that caring about someone means to do nice things for them… like helping them out when they're in trouble or buying them food and clothes… right? You've done all that for me, and so much more." She took a deep breath in; her stomach filling with butterflies as she turned her gaze back to him. "You didn't have to watch over me, talk to me, or do anything nice these past few days, but you did—"

He smiled softly. "I believe you're rambling now, Sailor Moon," he whispered.

Her cheeks flushed more as she opened and closed her mouth a few times while her mind flooded with words upon words to say. After she was able to gather her thoughts, she took a deep breath and said, "I wouldn't trade these past few days… being with you… for anything in the world. I… I've fallen for you…"

"Really?" He asked, watching her step closer to him.

"H-hai. Aishiteru, Tuxedo Kamen…" She stood toe-to-toe with him and whispered, "Mamo-chan."

He inclined his head and replied, "Aishiteru, Sailor Moon…" His breath ghosted over her lips. "Usako." And he closed his eyes before gently pressing his lips to hers.

The girl's eyes fluttered closed and her body shivered slightly at the feeling of his lips, and she gasped softly when she felt his tongue slowly slide across her lips. She stood on her tip toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, and felt his arms wrap around her waist.

The kiss was lingering with lips so soft, two separate heartbeats falling in sync while his fingertips lightly caressed her lower back and hers the nape of his neck. Both feeling a sense of familiarity, of being home. And when they parted, they still held each other close.

"I… should probably get home. My family will be back in the morning…" Sailor Moon said softly.

"You mean in a few hours." Tuxedo Kamen corrected as his hands slowly slid from her waist and dropped back down to his sides. He felt her hands slide from his neck, down his shoulders, and down his chest. He quickly reached for one of her hands and brought it up to his lips. "We'll see each other tomorrow, I'm sure." He kissed her gloved hand.

"Hai… tomorrow…" Her voice still soft as she brought her hand back to her side.

And as the two went their separate ways, they heard a faint voice in the wind…

**You'll stay small**  
**'til you fall,**  
**Realize love**  
**In your hearts.**

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"I can't believe I had to go through that in the future," Princess Serenity murmured as she shook her head.

"I still can't comprehend why I had to go through that just to secure the future." Neo Queen Serenity sighed. "Though I must admit that seeing Mamo-chan shop for clothes was a wonderful source of entertainment."

"For you it might have amused," Prince Endymion remarked, walking toward his princess. He took her hand in his and intertwined their fingers together. "However, I happened to feel that young man's embarrassment as if it was my own."

"That's because it was, just in another time." King Endymion looked down at his past, past self. "But yes, I concur that it was an extremely embarrassing moment."

"I'm glad you washed all the clothes and held on to the dolls and the doll house, Endy." The Queen smiled and leaned closer to her husband. "Chibiusa absolutely adores them and continues to keep them in pristine condition, too…"

The Prince of Earth raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms as he looked at the King. "Chibiusa? Who's that?"

The King frowned a bit. "I'm afraid I cannot divulge that information."

"By the way," Princess Serenity interrupted, looking at her future, future self. "How were you able to play a song on the radio in the past? And how we are able to talk to each other right now?"

The Queen shrugged. "I am not exactly sure. The author hasn't— omph!" She winced as she felt her husband's elbow jab into her side. "—that wasn't very nice, Endymion."

He leaned down close to his wife's ear and whispered, "I believe there is some sort of unspoken code about this."

"Oh…" She blinked. "Ooooh!" She said as realization dawned on her.

Prince Endymion cleared his throat. "Who knew that it would take them this long to realize love in their hearts?"

The King shook his head, sighing softly. "Let's just say that, in that time, they were rather… dense—"

"—blind—" The Queen cut in.

"—fools."

"Ah." The Prince nodded in agreement as he squeezed his Princess' hand. "At least now we won't have anything to worry about, my dear." He smiled at her.

The King and Queen looked at each other nervously. "Y-yeah," replied the King.

Of course, the King and Queen of Crystal Tokyo knew exactly what lay ahead for their past reincarnations, but decided to allow the couple to assume their relationship was flawless in their next life.

But that's a story that we already know.

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**Holy moly, it's the end! *Wipes away a tear* To reiterate what I said in the A/N on Chapter 8: I really don't think that a simple "thank you so much" is sufficient enough to express how much it means to me that you've either: read, followed, favorited, whatever'd this nonsense that I call a story since the beginning or have read, favorited, etc. etc. etc., whatever'd this after I have completed it. You're superduperamazinglyawesome. Seriously.**

**Sincerely,**  
**moth touch**


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